Smart, Hance lead Lady Cats to opening romp

WEST FRANKFORT -- Ivy Smart went 5-for-5, drove in three runs and was the winning pitcher in the circle and the new girl in town had a pretty good day too as the Marion High School softball team drilled West Frankfort, 13-3, Wednesday in the season opener for both teams.
Smart got the scoring started with a triple in the second inning, then tripled again as part of a four-run rally in the third after Hannah Nalley doubled, Keira Hance singled and Devon Davis knocked in two with a double.
Hance, a junior who moved to Marion from O'Fallon, Missouri, had a sparkling debut with four hits and four RBIs. Hance, a versatile player who started at third base Wednesday, has already verbally committed to Southeast Missouri State University.
Kelsi Cutsinger, whose deep sacrifice fly accounted for the run in the second, also drove in a run with a single and scored in the third frame.
In the fourth, Hance brought in a run with a single and scored on a hit by Smart.
Hance then tripled in Kaylee Evans, Morgan Andrews and Morgan Dodd (who all singled) in the fifth inning and also scored on a hit by Davis.
Davis had a pretty good day as well with three hits and four RBIs for the Lady Wildcats. She singled in a run and scored in the seventh, when Dodd and Nalley both collected their second hits.
Smart's day in the circle was adventurous but effective. West Frankfort had runers in six of the seven innings but Smart racked up six strikeouts and stranded the bases loaded twice.
All three of West Frankfort's runs came in the fourth inning after Marion had built a 7-0 lead. Jenna Herron had a two-run double for the Lady Redbirds.
Marion is scheduled to host Belleville East in a doubleheader Friday, then play again at home Saturday against Anna-Jonesboro and at home once again Monday against Graves County, Kentucky.