JACKSON — Saxony Lutheran posted a pair of big victories Saturday during the Saxony Lutheran Round-Robin Tournament, defeating Twin Rivers 12-2 in the opener and topping Herculaneum 23-4 in the second game.
In the opener, Saxony trailed 2-0 in the bottom of the second before scoring 6 runs on 4 hits — including a two-run double from freshman Kinley Faulkenberry — to take a 6-2 lead. The Lady Crusaders (2-0) expanded their lead in the third as Faulkenberry hit another RBI double, senior Jenna Unterreiner hit an RBI triple, sophomore Onna Boland hit an RBI single and Madilynn Hager homered to left field, scoring three runs to set the final margin.
Unterreiner and Boland are two of three St. Vincent students playing for Saxony Lutheran.
Twin Rivers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an error, and an RBI single from Landry Benson made it 2-0 in the top of the second inning.
Hager earned the victory in the circle for Saxony, giving up 2 runs, 1 earned, on 5 hits in 5 innings, striking out 4 and walking 3. Marlee Musgraves took the loss for Twin Rivers after giving up 12 runs, 3 earned, on 9 hits in four innings, striking out 3 and walking 4.
Natalie Brown, Faulkenberry and Hager had 2 hits each for Saxony. Boland, Faulkenberry and Hager each had 3 RBI. Unterreiner stole two bases in the game.
Addysen Whitlow, Alexis Parson, Lanie Lawson, Ivy Benson and Landry Benson each had 1 hit for Twin Rivers.
In the second game, Saxony scored 18 runs in the first inning, thanks to 3 errors, several walks and 7 hits.
In the first inning, one run scored on an error; Hager drew a walk, scoring one run; Brown singled, scoring two runs; another run scored on an error; Faulkenberry hit a 2-RBI double; Ansley Palisch hit a 2-RBI single; another run was scored on an error; Hager hit a 2-RBI double; Brown had an RBI single; Unterreiner drew a walk to force in a run; Boland hit a 3-RBI triple; and Ansley Palisch hit an RBI single to give the Crusaders an 18-2 lead.
The Lady Crusaders added 5 runs on 2 hits in the bottom of the second as Reese Neels drew a walk, scoring one run; Unterreiner singled, scoring two; and Jessica Koenig grounded out, scoring two runs.
Herculaneum scored 2 runs in the first after a series of walks, a single and a wild pitch and added 2 more in the third to set the final margin.
Brown earned the victory for Saxony Lutheran, giving up 2 runs on 1 hit in 2 innings, striking out 4 and walking 3. Mabrie Barke pitched 1 inning of relief for Saxony, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits, while striking out 2 and walking 1.
Saxony Lutheran finished with 11 hits in the game, led by Palisch and Brown, who had 2 each. Palisch, Boland, Brown and Hager each had 3 RBI.
Cheyenne Wood went 1-for-1 on the day with 3 RBI. Ryanna Raftery and Grace Lennington had 1 hit each.
After facing St. Pius X on the road, Saxony Lutheran will return home on Sept. 4, when they will host Fredericktown.
