Mitchell's walk-off home run lifts Mission
Ed Moreth for the Leader<br>Lady Bulldog Matea Grant slides safely into second as Plains Trotter Jenni Stewart waits for the ball. Mission won both games 21-2 and 24-10 last Thursday at Plains.
ST. IGNATIUS — The Lady Bulldogs rolled over Troy last Saturday after Ashley Mitchell hit a walk-off home run to end the game, 15-5, after getting a dozen strikeouts in six innings.
The Lady Trojans couldn't hold her back at the plate as she hit an inside-the-park homer earlier in the game.The game started late but Mitchell came out fast with two strike outs then she struck out the side in the first and kept runners on second and third from scoring.
Mattea Grant scored the first run after drawing a walk to first then stealling third, and scored after Kristin McClure made it to first. McClure scored a run to make it 2-0 before Troy got out of the inning. Mitchell took out the Trojans again when she struck out the side again in the second inning.
The 'Dogs started picking off runners at home plate as Jen Gariepy threw one home to take out a runner and Mitchell had her eye on the ball as she took out another runner at home on a tag out.
At the bottom of the third Gariepy hit a ball to left field, stole second and then came in to score, making it 3-1.
McClure and Kendra Coburn both scored to bring the score 5-1. In the top of the fourth inning the Trojans were trying to hold Mitchell back any way they could but she had an inside-the-park home run after reaching third and getting hit with the throw. She scooted home to make it 6-1.
The bases kept loading up as the 'Dogs got hit after hit to make it 12-1 before Troy got out of the inning.The 'Dogs slowed down a little in the fourth inning with a clear lead and the Lady Trojans picked up a few points to avoid the 10-run slaughter rule in the fifth, but the 'Dogs weren't done as they continued to score when Coburn brought in another run to make it 13-5. At the top of the sixth inning Grant made an out in center field with a nice catch and Mitchell struck out two more to end the inning.
Mitchell then came up in the bottom of the sixth and drove a shot to left field, over the fence, to make it 15-5. Head coach Steve Woll said the win doesn't guarantee the team a trip to state, and they have two more away games to go before finishing the regular season, but the team is on a roll after winning twice over Plains last Thursday.
Mitchell said after the game she was surprised at how many strikeouts she ended up with.
"I actually thought I could pitch better than I did. I don't normally have that many walks," she said. "The whole team did well today. It was a good win for us."
It was Mitchell's first walk-off home run of her career.