S: Quakers blast Cadets

*Story courtesy of www.flyergroup.com*

By Todd Taylor

CLAYTON —
The
Plainfield softball team put the finishing touches on a perfect week
Thursday, defeating host Cascade 8-1 and winning its fourth game in as
many days.

“We’re starting to get there — we’re not totally
there yet but I’m happy,” Plainfield coach Brad Beaman said. “I think
from here we’ll start building. We’ll try to play it out and if at the
end of each week we come out on top then we know we’re doing the right
things.”

Dani Parrish was dominating on the mound for
Plainfield, allowing just one run on five hits. The lone run allowed
came in the bottom of the seventh inning on a deep double by Cascade’s
Montana Wichman. Parrish finished with eight strikeouts and no walks.

“Nothing
was really hit hard, they got a few Texas Leaguers on her,” Beaman
said. “At the end, the one girl did get a shot. She pitched a nice
game.”

Plainfield took advantage of four Cascade errors and
built a 6-0 lead after three innings, scoring almost every way
imaginable — Parrish and Mollie Johanningsmeier each scored on an
error; Kristin Paris hit an RBI double and later scored on a wild
pitch; Lindsay Duke was walked home; and Stephanie Knuckles scored from
third after Parrish was hit by a pitch.

“They were just being
aggressive,” Beaman said. “Our strength if it’s anything is our speed
so when we get the opportunity to run, we run and just go all out.”

Parrish
added an RBI triple in the fifth inning and scored on a passed ball in
the seventh. She hit two triples in the game. Paris was 3-for-4 and hit
a single, double, and triple for the Quakers.

Wichman had
Cascade’s only RBI and Lauren Cooper, Brittany Sallee, Brandy Priest,
and Emilee Arnold each added hits for the Cadets.

Taylor Hueston took the loss for Cascade. She walked five batters and hit two.

After
losing a pair of games to Martinsville on Friday and Saturday,
Plainfield had dropped to 4-4 on the season, but Thursday’s win marked
its fourth straight and improved its record to 8-4.

Up next for
the Quakers is a home game against county rival Avon at 4:30 p.m.
Monday. Cascade will look to rebound when it travels to North Putnam at
4:30 p.m. Monday.