Eagles dominant duo has rare off night in loss to Wildcats

​by Michael Smith

​     The Grain Valley softball team has one of the best pitching duos in the state.
     Avery Huffman and Hailey Hemme were both all-state selections last year and were dominant, both having earned-run averages below 2.
     But with a game like softball, the majority of pitchers won’t have their best stuff in the circle every night. On Thursday, that seemed to be the case for Huffman and Hemme.
     The pair had a rare off day and  issued 11 walks and three home runs combined in a 8-7 loss at Jim Coen Field at Blue Springs High School.
     Huffman surrendered six runs on six hits, walked seven and struck out six in three and one-third innings. Hemme came in relief and gave up two runs on two hits, walked four and struck out four.
     Hemme had a runner at second with two outs in the bottom of the eighth when Blue Springs third baseman Brooklyn Saysoff floated an RBI single to short left field to end the game. The other hit against Hemme was a solo home run from Cejai Holland in the fifth that tied the game at 7 all.
     “They brought it and wanted it more,” Ogle said of Blue Springs. “Whatever it was, (Huffman and Hemme) were off tonight. Some days, you don’t have your A game. Today, neither had their A game today. We gave up free bases which led to free runs.”
     Grain Valley (6-2) got off to a hot start in the top of the first inning when Huffman’s RBI single and Ella Clyman’s sacrifice fly made it 2-0. Blue Springs came back with a run in the second and one in the third to tie the contest at two going into the fourth.
     Grain Valley had Mackenzie Keller at first base with two outs when McKenah Sears blooped a single to right. Keller attempted to score on the hit but was thrown out at home to keep the game tied.
     Blue Springs then exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fourth when Ashton Arndt hit a solo home run that just cleared the left field fence and Isabella Milligan hit a no-doubter over the center field wall against Huffman. That helped the Wildcats (1-2) take a 6-2 lead into the top of the fifth.
     “I thought (Lauren Parker) was going to catch it at first,” Milligan said. “I played with Avery my whole life. It felt good to get a hit off of her for once. I have always had struggles against her.”
     The Eagles refused to go away quietly, however. They sent 10 batters to the plate in the fifth and scored five runs. Lauren Parker slapped an RBI single down the left field line; BriLeigh Sims came up just a few feet short of a home run as she hit a two-run triple off the left field fence; Clyman dumped an RBI single to right; and Sears’ RBI groundout put the Eagles ahead 7-6.
     From there, Grain Valley had two more base runners but could push neither across.
     “We can always swing it,” Ogle said. “Hitting comes and goes. It showed today when it was there and then it wasn’t.”
 
 
 

Lauren Ogle squares around to bunt. 
Photo credit: Michael Smith

BriLeigh Sims prepares for the pitch. She was 1-for-5 with a two-run triple. 
Photo credit: Michael Smith

Senior Avery Huffman allowed six runs on six hits walked seven and struck out six in 3 1/3 innings during an 8-7 loss to Blue Springs.
Photo credit: Michael Smith

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