By Noah Dalton
MITCHELL – Playing back-to-back this week on Tuesday and Wednesday, Mitchell High School found themselves on the losing end of both games, falling at the hands of Loogootee and Paoli.
The Bluejackets struggled against the Lions on Tuesday, particularly at the plate where they only earned four hits and left all runners on base in a shutout defeat, 0-9.
Loogootee pitcher Allie Henninger threw all seven innings, striking out five and only walking two on her way to the four-hit shutout victory.
The only Mitchell batters to score hits in the game were Malaya Tanglao, who got two singles, Emerie Russell and Graclynn Payton.
Karsyn Coleman took the loss for the Bluejackets after starting the game at the mound. She pitched until the second inning, when she was relieved by Avery Southern. The two combined to allow seven hits, two against Coleman and five against Southern, and four earned runs. Southern struck out four, with Coleman fanning one.
Mitchell’s defense committed six errors during the loss to the Lions, four of which directly results in runs scored.
Despite losing, the Bluejackets fared much better against Patoka Lake Athletic Conference opponent Orleans on Wednesday, losing 5-4.
After falling behind in the first following a defensive error that allowed Adrian Abel to score from second base, Mitchell came back with three runs of their own in the third to claim the lead. After Rylee Brazell and Tanglao notched base hits to start the inning, the two scored on a Bulldogs’ defensive mishap that allowed Brazzell to steal home, with Tanglao eventually joining following an error. A few at bats later, Russell doubled to left field to score Southern, who had reached base with a single earlier.
Orleans would strike next, tying the game with a two-run single from Cambree Cline, bringing home Abel and Izzie Rutherford. They’d take a two-run lead in the top of the seventh following another two-run hit, this time by Jaden Adams, which scored Rutherford and Cline.
Now down two at the start of the final inning, Mitchell got an ideal start with a leadoff homer from Tanglao, her first of the year. Unfortunately for the Bluejackets, that would be their last hit of the game, as the Bulldogs were able to record three straight outs to close the game.
Tanglao and Southern each finished with two hits to lead Mitchell, with Russell joining Tanglao as the only Bluejackets to bat in runs in the game.
Russell took the loss for Mitchell at the mound, allowing four hits and two earned runs in four innings. She was relieved by Southern, who gave up three hits and two earned runs in two innings. Each earned one strike out.
The Bluejackets are now 10-9 on the year with a 2-2 record in PLAC games.
