ACGC Softball Tops WCV, 14-4; Team Records Set

Several team records and streaks were set last night by the ACGC softball team in its 14-4 five inning win over West Central Valley. The victory clinched the first ACGC/Guthrie Center winning season since 2009. The 2009 Guthrie Center team went 17-10.

The win gives the current team a 15-13 record for the year which establishes the mark for most wins in a season by an ACGC team. The previous record of fourteen wins was set in 2019. And finally, the victory marks the thirteenth consecutive ACGC win over WCV dating back to May of 2016.

WCV scored early when it tallied two runs on three hits in its first at bat. The Chargers took the lead for good when it came up with four runs in the second inning. Mady Kelsey and Mersedez Richter got things going with singles. Kylie Young continued her recent hot streak when she doubled to drive in both base runners. Both Young and Emerson Van Meter, who got on base via a base on balls, scored later in the inning to five ACGC a 4-2 lead.

ACGC broke the game open in the third inning with a six run outburst. Jorja Hoover led off the inning by getting on by error. Kelsey and Richter got on board via walks to load the bases. When Reagan Carney got on by error one run scored.

Olivia Van Meter's single to center field scored another run.. Emerson Van Meter got on by error which scored the third run of the inning. Sophie Dorsey got credit for an RBI when she grounded out, and EmmaKay McClain's double drove in the Van Meter sisters to complete the scoring for the inning. By inning's end the Chargers lead was 10-2.

The Wildcats picked up single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to stay alive, but that changed in the fifth at bat for ACGC when the Chargers scored four runs to end the game by the ten run rule.

Young opened the decisive inning with a single. Carney and Olivia both reached safely via Wildcat errors to fill up the bases. Emerson's single scored both Young and Carney, and Sophie Dorsey followed that up with a double to score both Van Meters to end the game at 14-4.

Emerson Van Meter went the distance in the circle for ACGC. She gave up nine hits--all singles. She struck out one Wildcat batter and walked two. She was backed up by errorless defensive play her teammates.

The Chargers totaled nine hits for the game, led by Young and Kelsey with two hits each. Dorsey, McClain and Young each had a double.

Following the record setting win, ACGC coach Eric Van Meter offered these comments. "It was nice to play an error free game defensively. Our bats seem to be heating up at the right time. It was a nice way to end the regular season."

The Chargers will resume play on July 6 when the regional tournament begins. ACGC will face a winless IKM-Manning team in Guthrie Center with game time set for 7 PM.

Score by inning:

WCV 200 11--4 9 5

ACGC 046 4x--14 9 0

ACGC hitting: (AB-R-H-RBI) Dorsey(4-0-1-3) McClain(3-0-1-0) Hoover(3-1-0-0) Kelsey(2-0-2-0)

Rowley(0-1-0-0) Richter(1-2-0-0) Young(3-2-2-2) Carney(3-2-0-0) OVan Meter(3-2-1-1) EVan Meter(2-3-1-2)

Pitching: (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) EVan Meter(5-9-4-4-2)