Softball: Lincolnview Completes Nwc Title Run With Shutout Of Delphos Jefferson

May 9—MIDDLE POINT — If Lincolnview had a nickname other than the Lancers, it might be the blue and yellow bombers, due to an innate ability to use power to change the game.

On Thursday night, Lincolnview did just that when one of its slower offensive nights was jump-started into motion by back-to-back homers in the fifth inning from Ila Hughes and Lainey Spear.

In the four-run frame, which also included an RBI double from Ashlyn Price, Lincolnview pulled away from Delphos Jefferson for an 8-0 victory and clinched its second straight Northwest Conference title.

"The Jefferson girls made a bunch of plays that a lot of teams don't make," Lincolnview head coach Eric Schwab said. "They made us earn all eight of our runs because of the way they played, so give credit to them. We kept hitting the ball hard and it finally found the gaps.

"It's one of those preseason goals you get to check off the list. This is always the first step. Now, we'll get back at it and get ready for the next one."

Spear, who went 3 for 3 with three runs batted in during the win, broke the scoreless tie with two outs in the bottom of the first when she lined an RBI single to left.

Lincolnview's four-run fifth inning started with a triple from Emerson Walker and a line-drive double to center from Ashlyn Price, who had a pair of hits and scored twice in the game.

The next batter to the plate, Ila Hughes, sent the first pitch she saw roughly 300 feet into foul territory down the left field line. On the next pitch, Hughes straightened things out with a no-doubter toward left-center.

"It was the same pitch twice in a row, I just had to make a little bit of an adjustment because it was inside," Hughes said of her fifth-inning at-bat. "I just needed to change my mindset and take the ball the other way a little more."

Lainey Spear sent the very next pitch over the left field fence to go back-to-back with Hughes.

Delphos Jefferson escaped the inning four hitters later without any additional damage, but the Lancers weren't quite done with the long ball.

Kassidy Hammons sent a 2-0 pitch over the center field fence in the sixth and was met at the plate by every player who was previously in the dugout.

"We get really excited about these home runs, especially with Kassidy," Ashlyn Price, Lincolnview's senior third baseman, said. "She's at the bottom of the lineup and nobody really expected it but when she hit it out we went crazy."

As it turns out, the Lancers only needed one run for Ila Hughes, who was spectacular once again inside the circle.

Lincolnview's freshman ace tossed a two-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts, bumping her record up to 12-2 on the year with a 1.04 earned run average and 138 strikeouts compared to just 13 walks.

"She wants the ball every time in these big games and that just tells you what kind of competitor she is," Schwab said of Hughes. "She stays composed out there and her changeup was working beautifully today. She wants to win every game and she shows it on the field."

Claire Brinkman took the loss for Delphos Jefferson after allowing seven earned runs on 12 hits. Carolyn Mueller and Megan Kerner were credited with Jefferson's two hits.

Lincolnview's shutout of Delphos Jefferson means the Lancers have shut out every Northwest Conference opponent this season, with a run differential of 80-0.

Box score (R-H-E)

DJ 0000000 0-2-0

LV 100043X 8-12-0

DELPHOS JEFFERSON (AB-R-H-RBI)

Isabela Basinger 3-0-0-0, Carolyn Mueller 3-0-1-0, Emma Kunz 3-0-0-0, Gianna Lee 3-0-0-0, Ky Eberle 3-0-0-0, Megan Kerner 2-0-1-0, Claire Brinkman 2-0-0-0, Briley Geary 1-0-0-0, Gracie Creque 3-0-0-0, Totals: 23-0-2-0.

LINCOLNVIEW (AB-R-H-RBI)

Emerson Walker 4-1-1-1, Ashlyn Price 4-2-2-1, Ila Hughes 4-3-3-2, Lainey Spear 3-1-3-3, Allie Miller 2-0-1-1, Sylvia Longstreth 4-0-0-0, Emma Bowersock 3-0-0-0, Quinlyn Walker 3-0-1-0, Kassidy Hammons 2-1-1-1, Totals: 29-8-12-8

W — Ila Hughes — 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 13 K

L — Claire Brinkman — 6.0 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on X @Lima_Howell

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