The Vicksburg varsity softball team celebrated senior night by taking down the Niles Vikings in a clean sweep at home. Both games ran for just five innings as the Bulldogs took game one 14-2 and game two 17-6.
Makenzie Rooney struck out two batters in the top of the first as the Bulldogs quickly went on the offensive. Makenzie Rose got the first hit of the game and quickly advanced on a perfect bunt by Vivian Kubiak. The Vikings were late on the throw to first, giving Vicksburg two on with no outs. The girls utilized smart base running early in the game. Rose advanced to scoring position on an error before Kayla Chisholm hit a double to bring two runners home. Lena Lancaster batted in another run with a double of her own a few plays later.
Niles did answer at the top of the second with a dropped fly ball to make things 3-1. Vicksburg responded when Emmah Schroeder and Rooney both led off the bottom of the second with hits. Rose and Kubiak both hit RBI singles to increase the lead to 5-1. Rose managed to get home on a pop-out to make it 6-1 before the inning ended.
Rooney threw two more strikeouts in the top of the third as the Bulldogs made short work of things on defense. Harper Roy hit a double and then came home a few pitches later on a single hit by Schroeder.
It looked like the Vikings might get some momentum going when one of their batters hit a solo home run at the top of the fourth. That made the score 7-2. The celebration by Niles was short-lived. Kubiak and Chisholm started the bottom of the inning with base hits. A series of fielding errors led to Kubiak running home a few plays later. The Bulldogs had two on and no outs when Alyssa Smith blasted a home run over the center field fence. The ball went far enough to bounce off the roof of the visitor bus in the parking lot. That made the score 11-2.
The girls blanked the Vikings at the top of the fifth. Allison Truckey hit a single to put one runner on with one out. Chisholm then hit a hard liner up the middle that struck the pitcher. After a pitching change by the Vikings, Lancaster hit the Bulldog’s second homer of the night to end the game.
Niles kept things closer in the second game, but Vicksburg eventually ran away with it. This was thanks to three home run shots in the top of the second. Chisholm struck first with two-run deep shot that cleared the right field fence. Lancaster hit her second homer of the night, a solo shot over center field. Roy hit the final homerun of the night, a deep shot to left field in a two on, two out scenario.
