Mt. Ararat’s Ema Hawkes slides into second base safely as Oxford Hills’ Kaisa Heikkinen attempts to apply the tag during their game in Paris on Saturday. (Brewster Burns photo)
PARIS — It had been a while since Oxford Hills and Mt. Ararat had been able to play outdoors, but the Vikings seemed to take it all in stride Saturday.
The Vikings pounded out 16 hits for a 15-2 win that ended via the mercy rule in the fifth inning.
“We have a lot of young players out there, some with their first varsity experience, and it shows us where we are. We will use this as a starting point,” Mt. Ararat co-coach Al Graffam said. “We knew that we’d have our work cut out for us today.”
One through nine in the Vikings’ lineup hit the ball hard Saturday. Brooke Carson, hitting out the No. 9 spot, hit a long, three-run homer in the third to cap off a second four-run frame for Oxford Hills. Kenzie Kahkonen was 3-for-3 with a double, while Kori Kahkonen belted two doubles to the fence in left field for two big RBIs.
“Every one of these kids have the potential to hit well,” said Oxford Hills (2-1) coach Cindy Goddard, whose Vikings visit Leavitt on Monday. “There is no weak spot. And, we have good speed overall. We put a lot of pressure on.”
“They just hit the ball really well,” Eagles co-coach Brooke Cox said. “We need consistency, players that are playing. Without the experience, it is hard to do that. But, that will come. It is a work in progress.”
Oxford Hills jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first. Ashley Childs and Madison Starbird both reached on bunt singles, and Kenzie Kahkonen singled to drive in Childs.
Mt. Ararat avoided further damage thanks to two close plays at the plate. Shortstop Ema Hawkes fired to catcher Kayleigh Temple for an out, and center fielder Belle Benner threw a strike to the plate for the final out of the first.
Mt. Ararat, after going down in order in the first, tied the game in the second. Hawkes reached on an infield single, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground ball by Jaden Lohr.
From there, Oxford Hills starting pitcher Lauren Merrill was solid, going four innings while allowing just two hits, two runs and four strikeouts.
Big inning
The Vikings gave Miller all the runs she needed in the second, stringing together five hits for a 7-1 lead. Kori Kahkonen drove in the go-ahead run with her first double, and a run scored on a Carson bunt. Childs lifted a sacrifice fly ball, and two runs scored on Eagle errors.
“We hadn’t played since last Friday, and they were ready to go,” Goddard said.
In the third, Kori Kahkonen’s second two-bagger made it an 8-1 game, and Carson turned on a Camille Rowe offering for a long blast over the left-field fence for an 11-1 edge.
“Sometimes people may feel that this is our number nine hitter and they can relax,” Goddard said. “We want someone in that spot that is fast. If she can hit like that, it will certainly be a bonus.”
“I was seeing the ball well today,” said Carson, who was 2-for-2. “As a team we did really well today. It was nice to be on this field, the field that we practice on. It was just good to be home.”
Benner led off the fourth with a single for the Eagles and later scored on a ground ball by Emily Wormwood.
But, Oxford Hills finished off the visitors with four more runs in the bottom of the inning, the big blow a two-run single by Kaisa Heikkinen.
Sydney Crocker pitched the fifth for Oxford Hills, permitting a single by Lohr before retiring the final three Mt. Ararat hitters. She struck out one.
Rowe went the distance for the Eagles, permitting 16 hits and one walk with one strikeout.
Madison Starbird, Madison Day and Heikkinen picked up two hits each for the Vikings.
Mt. Ararat’s Zoe Stilphen tries to get a hand on the ball when it took a wild bounce on a ground ball during a game against Oxford Hills in Paris on Saturday. (Brewster Burns photo)Oxford Hills’ Lauren Merrill watches her pitch against Mt. Ararat in the second inning of their game in Paris on Saturday. (Brewster Burns photo)
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