The Ethel fast-pitch softball team rolled to a pair of easy wins over Houlka in second-round action last week in the MHSAA Class 1A state playoffs.
The Lady Tigers ventured to Houlka on Tuesday and won an 11-1 decision to open their best-of-three series, then hammered Houlka 16-1 on Friday.
Ethel pounded out a total of 35 hits in the two-game series, and the wins lifted the Lady Tigers to 18-7 on the season.
They were scheduled to face Vardaman on the road Monday in Game 1 of a third-round playoff series, then host the Lady Rams Tuesday. The winner of that series will take on either Sebastopol or Hamilton in a best-of-three set for the Class 1A South State championship – currently scheduled for Friday-Saturday this week.
Last Tuesday, the Lady Tigers scored five times in the top of the third inning to break open a close game and hammered out 18 base hits on their way to the win.
Brooklyn Pitt was 5-for-5 with two runs scored and Sidney Rone had two doubles, a single, three RBIs and a run scored to lead the way.
Madison Odom had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored; Jessica Mitchell had two hits, a run and an RBI; Haley Wiegel and Shelby Schuster both had two hits and a run scored.
Breanna Blaine tripled, scored twice and drove in two runs; Emily Mitchell singled, scored and had one RBI; Kambrie Hodges scored once for Ethel.
Hodges also got the win in the circle, going all seven innings and striking out 13 while allowing just four hits.
Hodges was again the winner in Friday’s 16-1 victory, fanning seven in four innings.
Her teammates backed her with seven runs in the bottom of the second, five in the third and four more in the fourth.
Odom was 3-for-3 with a triple, three runs and three RBIs and Rone was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI to lead the 17-hit attack.
Jessica Mitchell had a double, triple, six RBIs and two runs scored; Blaine had two hits and three runs scored; Pitt had two hits, a run and an RBI; Schuster had two singles and two runs scored.
Emily Mitchell singled, scored twice and had an RBI; Wiegel singled and Aubrianna McBride both singled and drove in a run; Hodges scored once.
