Lady Vandals get first regional win since ’07, but fall to Carlyle in semis

CARLYLE – After picking up their first regional tournament win since 2007 on Monday, the Lady Vandals were unable to get past the semifinals.

Carlyle and starter Paige Rakers were too much for the Lady Vandals to handle, as Rakers used mixed speeds to strike out 14 batters and allow just one hit in a 5-0 win for Carlyle.

“She did a nice job, and I think our girls were a little intimidated, especially after that first changeup,” Buscher said. “It was a rough day at the plate for us.”

Vandalia’s best chance to score came in the first inning, as senior Morgan Whightsil reached on an error, and senior Amber Bruno reached on a fielder’s choice to open the game.

A failed trick running play led to an out, and a passed ball later in the inning likely would have brought home a run.

“That’s kind of a trick play, but we should have been back to the base quickly, since they didn’t throw the ball,” Buscher said. “It backfired, but I knew we would have to take some gambles to get some bases.”

The Lady Indians caught a break in the bottom of the inning, getting a run after their leadoff batter reached third, despite hitting a foul ball.

She chopped the pitch right at home plate, and the ball hit her more than once – which by rule makes it a foul ball – but neither umpire saw that, despite the ball traveling at an angle that could only happen by it hitting the batter.

A throwing error allowed her to reach third base, and she later scored on a wild pitch.

“That ball hit her three times, so I am glad it wasn’t a 1-0 final score,” Buscher said. “That first run was pretty irritating, but it never happened that we could get a timely hit.”

The Lady Indians scored a run in the fourth on a Vandalia error, and broke open the game in the fifth.

A walk and a single opened the inning before a long home run to left-center field gave Carlyle a 5-0 lead.

Vandalia’s lone hit – a bunt single by junior Kylie Sellers in the fourth inning – was the team’s only runner of the game after the first inning.

The Lady Vandals end the season at 4-22.

Tuesday, May 14
Regional Semifinals
Carlyle 5
Vandalia 0
V: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0—0-1-4
C: 1-0-0-1-3-0-X—5-7-1
WP: Rockers; 7 IP, 13 K
LP: Megan Godoyo; 6 IP, 4 K
Lady Vandals: Sellers, 1-for-2; Bruno, SB; Shelby Foster, BB.
Record: 4-22

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On Monday, the Lady Vandals traveled to Wesclin for the regional play-in game, and in picking up a 7-6 victory, won the school’s first regional tournament game since 2007 and the just the fifth in the past 16 seasons.

“It was a huge win,” said coach Brian Buscher. “They don’t know how much they accomplished with that.”

Three players had multi-hit games to help Vandalia come back from a 4-0 first-inning deficit.

Senior Morgan Whightsil led the way with four, while junior Taylor Well added three and junior Kylie Sellers had two.

“They were huge at the plate,” Buscher said. “Getting hits was huge, because Wesclin scored in bunches, too.”

Vandalia took a 5-4 lead in the fifth inning and added two more runs in the seventh, the second coming on a fielder’s choice by senior Amber Bruno.

That RBI secured the win as Wesclin added two runs off of junior Megan Godoyo in the bottom of the seventh.

She struck out four in the complete game, allowing no earned runs.

Monday, May 13
Regional Quarterfinals
Vandalia 7
Wesclin 6
V: 0-1-2-0-2-0-2—7-13-6
W: 4-0-0-0-0-0-2—6-6-3
WP: Godoyo; 7 IP, 4 K
Lady Vandals: Whightsil, 4-for-5, run; Well, 3-for-5, run; Sellers, 2-for-4, 2 runs; Bruno, 1-for-4, RBI; Shelby Foster, 1-for-4, 2B, RBI; Emilie Britt, 1-for-3, RBI, run; Paige Ehrat, 1-for-3, RBI; Kadi Metzger, RBI; Austyn Krueger, run; Ashley Swain, run.
Record: 4-21