Mount Vernon softball muscles up, sweeps Marion

MARION — If you want long-ball volume, Maia Bentley was the Mount Vernon Mustang for you.

If you prefer long-ball dramatics, Lilly See was your girl.

See poked a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Class 3A second-ranked Mount Vernon a 6-5 victory — and a Wamac Conference softball doubleheader sweep of 4A No. 10 Marion — Thursday night at the Les Hipple Sports Complex.

“It was a little inside, but pretty meaty,” See said. “I really wanted to get a hit and help our pitcher (Jenna Sprague). She’s been pitching so much this week.”

Mount Vernon (26-3, 18-2 Wamac) has played 11 games in the past seven days, winning 10 of them. But there’s no obvious fatigue there. It prevailed twice Thursday in a high-quality twinbill.

The Mustangs did it with Sprague’s pitching (she went the whole way in the opener, the last three innings in Game 2). And they did it with muscle. Bentley hit three of the Mustangs’ five home runs, upping her season total to six.

“We’ve had a long week, and we’ve never stopped going,” Bentley said. “We spend a lot of time together. We’re together for speed and agility at 6:15 in the morning.

“We’re not going to let each other down.”

For the first time in her career, Bentley was the beneficiary of an intentional walk. Twice.

“(Assistant coach Lori) Moss told me I can never be disappointed in that,” Bentley said. “It’s a sign of respect.”

Bentley homered in her first two plate appearances, one to tie the game and one to put the Mustangs in front, 3-1. See’s two-run single in the fourth broke it open.

In Game 2, the Mustangs took a 5-3 lead into the seventh before Marion (21-8, 13-7) tied it on an error, a Peyton Johnson double and a single by Megan Kessens.

Sprague (14-2) struck out five in her relief appearance to keep the Indians at bay, then See concluded the night in the bottom of the ninth.

Johnson had four hits (including a leadoff homer in Game 1) and scored four runs in the twinbill to lead the Indians.

MOUNT VERNON 6-6, MARION 1-5 (2nd, 9)

At Marion

Game 1

Marion 100 000 0 — 1 3 0

Mount Vernon 102 210 x — 6 10 0

Megan Kessens and Peyton Johnson. Jenna Sprague and Kenna Rollinger. W — Sprague (13-2). L — Kessens (14-5). HR — MAR: Johnson (3), MV: Maia Bentley 2 (5).

Game 2

Marion 111 000 200 — 5 10 1

Mount Vernon 012 110 001 — 6 7 2

Haley Slaymaker, Megan Kessens (4) and Peyton Johnson. Addison Gookin, Jenna Sprague (7) and Kenna Rollinger. W — Sprague (14-2). L — Kessens (14-6). HR — MV: Maia Bentley (6), Gookin (2), Lilly See (4).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com