MV girls open track season with runner-up finish at Newark

The Mount Vernon girls track team started the season with a bang, finishing as runner-up in the Newark Invitational on April 4.

The Yellow Jackets got several strong performances on the day, led by their relay teams, which won two events.

The 4x100-meter relay team of Juliet Boyd, Nadia Nougi, Savannah Rose and Danaisa Best won in a time of 51.15, while the 4x200 team of Boyd, Rose, Ella Rickett and Best crossed the line in 1:50.45. The 4x400 team finished fifth overall.

MV also got one individual champion — Khloe Bradley in the shot put. She threw a personal best 37-foot-8 to win the event. She also had a person best in the discus, finishing fourth at 93-4.

Lucy Rush had a second-place finish in the 1600 race (5:17.93) and a third-place showing in the 800 (2:26.70), while Kennedy Howard was runner-up in the pole vault (11-6). Nadia Nougi had two third-place finishes — the 200 (27.83) and the long jump (16-4); Best was third in the 100 (13.47) and Rose third in the 100 hurdles (16.83).

"The girls did extremely well, finishing second overall out of 13 teams. This is a great start to the season," said MV coach Kathy Thayer.

On the boys’ side, Brady Mills was third in the 400 (51.27), while Logan Autherson was third in the shot put (49-6.5) and Grady Pope was fourth in the discus (124-7).

Softball

The Mount Vernon softball team wrapped up its Florida trip with a win and a loss.

Yellow Jacket pitcher Joceyln Scarbury dominated South Laurel High School in leading the Jackets to a 3-0 victory on April 2.

Scarbury struck out 15 batters and allowed just two hits to the London, Kentucky, school. Both of those singles came in the fourth inning when the Cardinals managed their best opportunity of the day. After an error by MV and the two hits, South Laurel had the bases loaded and just one out.

But Scarbury struck out the next two batters to end the threat and preserve what was a 1-0 MV lead at the time.

That MV run came on an RBI single by Lexi Ringwalt in the top of the fourth inning. Hailey Rudrick gave the Jackets an insurance run when she homered leading off the sixth.

Rudrick added an RBI single in the sixth to go along with her homer. Ringwalt had three singles on the day for MV, while Isla Graham had a single and a double. Scarbury and Harley Stindl both doubled and Gabby Beck singled.

The Jackets finished the trip with an 11-inning marathon with Niceville (Florida) where the Eagles captured a 9-8 victory.

MV had taken a 5-3 lead into the fifth but Niceville scored two to tie the game up. Each team scored on in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings before the Eagles pulled out the win in the 11th.

Brooklyn Cook smacked a two-run home run to lead the Jackets. Beck and Ringwalt each had a double and a single, while Rudrick, Scarbury and Graham had two singles each. Keely Pollard and Miranda Oswalt both singled.

Scarbury threw the first 5.1 innings for MV, striking out six while allowing six hits and two walks. Beck finished up, fanning three, walking three and giving up five hits.

Baseball

The Mount Vernon baseball team won one, but then fell in its next two games this week.

The Jackets pounded out 18 hits in beating River Valley, 18-8, on April 2.

Cooper Waers smacked three doubles and drove in four runs to lead MV. Jax McPeek added a three-run home run, while Grayson Deem had two doubles and a single. Nolan Hershberger had a double and two singles, Dammon Wolfe doubled and singled, Dakota Stafford doubled, Gavin Gorsuch and Travis Burak had two singles each, and Zayden Comer had one.

Coen Armstrong started on the hill for MV, striking out three while allowing three hits and two walks in three innings of work. Zack Beck worked the final two innings, fanning two and giving up one hit.

On April 4, the Jackets dropped a 9-2 decision to Akron Hoban.

Burak led the Jackets with two singles. Gorsuch added a double, while Deem, Wolfe, Waers and Cash Cook all singled.

Hershberger threw the first 3.1 innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out one. Comer finished up, fanning four and allowing five hits.

On Monday, the Jackets fell to defending Div. III state champ Licking Valley, 9-2.

MV struggled out of the gate, allowing seven runs in the first four innings. The Jackets were able to score in the fifth and sixth to close the gap.

Jax McPeek led the Jackets with a double and a single. Greyson Deem added two singles and an RBI, while Cash Cook drove in a run with a single. Nolan Hershberger also singled for MV.

Zack Beck started for MV, striking out two in two innings of work. Travis Burak finished up, fanning seven.