Buckeye rolls past Lakewood 18-0 behind Michaels' grand slam, Young's perfect game
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUC | 11 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| LAK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Buckeye erupted for 11 runs in the first inning, then put the game out of reach with Sarah Michaels' grand slam in the second and cruised to an 18-0 win over Lakewood in a five-inning conference game Thursday at Lakewood High School.
Michaels drove in six runs and finished 4 for 4, delivering the game's biggest swing with a bases-loaded blast to center in the second inning. She also singled home three runs during Buckeye's opening-inning barrage and added another RBI single in the third. The Bucks collected 15 hits overall and had production throughout the lineup, with Ava Piovarchy going 3 for 4 with an RBI, Eleanor Shaw finishing 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI, and Maddie Wilhelm scoring three runs while going 2 for 3.
The first inning set the tone immediately. Eleanor Shaw singled in a run, McKenzie Cenname followed with an RBI single, and Ryenne Ford added a sacrifice fly. Kelsey Morano singled home another run before Michaels ripped her three-run single. Cassy Minarchick later knocked in a run with a single, Shaw doubled in another, and Piovarchy capped the frame with an RBI single as Buckeye built an 11-0 lead before Lakewood could settle in.
Four more runs came home in the second when Michaels cleared the bases with her grand slam to center. Buckeye added three runs in the third. Wilhelm drew a walk and later scored, Michaels brought home another run with her fourth hit of the day, and Minarchick picked up an RBI on a groundout. That was more than enough support for Lilly Young, who was dominant in the circle from the start.
Young threw a five-inning perfect game, striking out 14 of the 15 batters she faced without allowing a hit, a walk or a run. Buckeye also backed her with clean defense, finishing without an error. Shaw was especially busy in the field and led the team with 15 plays, helping preserve the shutout as the Bucks completed one of their sharpest all-around performances of the season.
Buckeye also showed patience at the plate, drawing six walks to go with its 15-hit attack. The win improves the ladies to 9-1 (4-0) and sends the Bucks into their next games Saturday at LaGrange Community Park against a very strong Independence carrying momentum from a performance that featured timely hitting, overpowering pitching and mistake-free defense.
