Any Morrison Fillies fan who made the trip to Davis Junction, IL, for the IHSA Sectional opening round on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, saw a very confident Morrison High School team. The Fillies shut out the Byron, IL, Tigers and advance to the Sectional Finals on Saturday, May 28.
Senior Lauren Pannier made it clear that she wasn’t ready to end her softball career at Morrison High School. She dominated the Lady Tigers. Byron could only muster two infield hits. Pannier only allowed one runner to reach second base; struke out 13; only walked two in six innings. Brooke Stralow finished the seventh with the same mastery, to take home the Sectional opener by the score of 8-0.
The Fillies started the scoring with aggressive base running in the third inning, when Emma Melton doubled. A Tiger error allowed Lauren Vos to reach first. Melton attempted to take third and was called safe on a close play. While the Tigers were concentrating on the play at third, Vos advanced toward second and was called safe in another close play. Melton aggressively stole home on the Vos play and put the Fillies were on the scoreboard.
The Fillies broke open the game in the fifth inning. All nine players went to the plate against the Tigers’ Rachel Bonnell. Emily Szabo walked, Melton singled, and Vos walked to fill the bases, before Stralow singled in the second run of the evening. Two more runs plated, on an outfield error on a ball hit by Emma Sitzmore. Madison Steines followed with a ground ball single up the middle, for two runs batted in, and the lead moved to 6-0. Melton opened the sixth inning by advancing to third base on a misplayed error by the Tiger left fielder. Vos immediately drove her home with a single to right-centerfield. Pannier started the seventh inning with a ground rule double. Sitzmore doubled her home to end Bonnell’s night on the mound and created the final score for the Fillies.
The trip to Davis Junction was worth every mile on Tuesday evening. The Saturday morning commute offers a Super Sectional opportunity for the Fillies, by defeating the host Stillman Valley, IL, Lady Cardinals.
The Sectional Championship will be played in Davis Junction against the Stillman Valley Cardinals on Saturday, May 28, at 11:00 a.m.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | |
| Morrison Fillies | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 10 |
| Byron Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Morrison Fillies | ||||
| AB | R | H | RBI | |
| Emma Melton | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Lauren Vos | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Brooke Stralow | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Jaeden Workman | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lauren Pannier | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Emma Sitzmore | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Madison Steines | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Eryn Young | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Emily Szabo | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sarah Ostrander | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eryn Young | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
| Lauren Pannier (W) | 6.00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0 |
| Brooke Stralow | 1.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |