Mooney drives in four as Buckeye JV rolls past Normandy 18-4
Jae Mooney delivered the biggest swing of Buckeye Junior Varsity Bucks' 18-4 win over Normandy Junior Varsity Invaders on Monday, finishing with four RBIs as Buckeye broke the game open early and never let up at Buckeye High School.
Buckeye set the tone in the bottom of the first inning, using a pair of singles to grab the lead. Mooney put the Bucks on the board with an RBI single, starting a productive afternoon at the plate that continued through the middle innings. The Bucks then turned the game into a rout in the second, erupting for eight runs on five hits. Abby Haun singled home two runs, Mooney drew a bases-loaded walk, Mackenzie Anderson also worked a walk to force in a run, Kelsey Willis lined a single that drove in three, and Faith Kapelle added an RBI single.
Buckeye kept adding on in the third. Mooney tripled to bring home two more runs, and Anderson followed with a single as the Bucks stretched their advantage again. Mooney finished 2-for-2 with a single, a triple, a walk and four RBIs, pacing an offense that collected 16 hits and showed patience throughout the lineup. The Bucks also drew seven walks and consistently pressured Normandy on the bases.
Haun, Kapelle, Mooney, Willis, Anderson and Ryenne Ford each had two hits for Buckeye. Maddie Andrukat sparked the running game with three stolen bases, part of an eight-steal performance by the Bucks. Buckeye also turned one double play, adding a clean defensive moment to an already complete showing.
In the circle, Anderson earned the win with four scoreless innings. She allowed five hits, struck out seven and did not issue a walk. Sophie Osborne worked in relief for Buckeye. Normandy's Eppinger took the loss after allowing 18 runs on 16 hits over four innings, with two strikeouts and seven walks.
The Bucks' combination of timely hitting, aggressive baserunning and steady pitching made the difference from the opening inning on, and Buckeye's junior varsity group turned Monday's matchup into a one-sided result well before the final outs.
