Fillies Fail in Final

The Morrison Fillies ended the 2016 softball season by falling to the Stillman Valley, IL, Lady Cardinals, in the Sectional Finals of the IHSA Class 2A State Softball Tournament, by a 13-0 score.

The Fillies’ trip to the Sectional Final was mainly the result of good pitching, timely hitting, and strong defense.  These elements of the game eluded them on this Saturday, May 28, 2016.  They committed six errors, allowed 11 hits, and walked five Lady Cardinals.  Morrison only was able to generate six singles off the Cardinal’s starting pitcher, Allison Carson.

Entering the third inning down by one run, the Fillies committed four errors, allowing Stillman Valley to cross the plate six times, while collecting only two hits.  Brooke Stralow relieved starter Lauren  Pannier with one out in the third.  She retired the next seven batters before giving up a singe to Stephanie Anderson and a walk to Lexi Morrison.  The error bug bit the Fillies again, which allowed two more runs to score in the fifth inning.  The Cardinals added four runs in the sixth inning as they sent ten batters to the plate.  This upped their final tally to 13 runs.  They earned a position in the Class 2A Super Sectional game, on the trail to the State Finals in East Peoria, IL, next week.

Morrison’s only threat of the game occurred in the fifth inning.  They filled the bases with one out but couldn’t plate a run.  Stralow struck out, and Jaeden Workman popped out to the third baseman.

Saturday’s disappointing performance ended the season for the Fillies and the high school softball careers for Pannier, Sarah Ostrander, and Eryn Young.