Warriors McKay Dazzles in 5-0 Shutout of Dukes

Beloit, OH- They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. For much of the past two decades, Marlington and West Branch have been the toast of the conference on the softball diamond. The conference may have gone through a name change, and the names in the box score or more recently the coaching staffs may change, but as sure as April 15 is Tax Day, the Lady Warriors and Lady Dukes are going to be entrenched in a battle at the top of the EBC standings.

With that in mind, when the two meet up on the diamond for their two regular season showdowns, there’s a feeling in the air that the game carries a little more weight than the rest. Wednesday afternoon was no different, though the feeling in the air was also a crisp 48 degrees with a stiff breeze. It was going to take more than a cool springs breeze to cool down the Warriors offense and Senior Pitcher Klary McKay.

After setting the Dukes talented top 3 hitters down in order to open the game, the Warriors offense wasted no time getting to work. They would bat around in their half of the 1st, plating 3 to give McKay more than enough run support. McKay answered the call by going 3 innings of perfection, setting the Dukes down just as they came up. It wasn’t until the top of the 4th that the Dukes got on base, thanks to a single up the middle by Chelsea Miller. It was Miller and Cecilia Braden collecting the 4 hits off McKay each tallying two singles.

As for the Warriors, their offensive output was spread out through their lineup. Leading the way was Josie Milliken who went 3 for 4 on the day. 1st baseman Zoe Metzger ripped a 2-run double in their 3-run 1st inning. McKay helped her own cause with an RBI double in the bottom of the 6th for an added insurance run. Sara Schmidt scored twice while going 2 for 4.

The victory moves the Lady Warriors to 8-2 (2-0 in EBC) on the year, while the loss drops the Lady Dukes to 5-2 (2-1 in EBC).