Taylorville used a late sixth-inning rally to take down Meridian 3-2 in a tightly contested matchup.
The Tornadoes got on the board early in the first inning when Carsen Corzine lined an RBI single to center, scoring Olivia Gray for a 1-0 lead. Meridian answered in the second, taking advantage of a passed ball that allowed a run to score and tie the game at 1-1.
The Hawks grabbed their first lead in the top of the sixth inning. Morgan Knierim put pressure on the defense with a bunt and reached on an error, allowing Shelby Renfro to come home and give Meridian a 2-1 advantage.
Taylorville quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning. Hope Kietzman delivered in a big moment, ripping a triple to center to bring home the tying run and even the score at 2-2. Shortly after, Olivia Gray came through again, lining a single to center that scored Kietzman and gave the Tornadoes a 3-2 lead they would hold onto.
Gray and Kietzman led the offensive charge for Taylorville with two hits apiece, while Peyton DeMichael added a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate.
In the circle, DeMichael tossed a complete game, allowing just two runs—none earned—on four hits while striking out three.
Meridian was led by Shelby Renfro, who scored a run, while Ashley Schelling turned in a strong performance in the circle with 10 strikeouts over six innings despite taking the loss.
Top Performers
Taylorville
- Olivia Gray: 2-for-4, RBI, run
- Hope Kietzman: 2-for-3, triple, RBI, run
- Peyton DeMichael: 3-for-3
- Peyton DeMichael (P): 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R (0 ER), 3 K
Meridian
- Shelby Renfro: 1-for-3, run
- Ashley Schelling: 1-for-3; 6 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 10 K
Peyton DeMichael gets on base for the Tornadoes
Olivia Gray with the DOUBLE PLAY
