MOUND CITY — Offense was hard to come by Thursday for Marmaton Valley High’s softball team, which dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker at Jayhawk-Linn in the first game of a doubleheader, and then falling, 8-1, in the nightcap.
Payton Scharff’s three-run home run in the third inning of the opener put the Wildcats on top, 3-1. The shot drove in Aly Ard, who had singled, and Kayla Ard, who had walked with two outs in the inning.
But the Wildcats were unable to continue any rallies from there, stranding two runners in the fourth, a runner on second in the sixth and another runner on first in the top of the seventh, and having a baserunner thrown out at third in the fifth to end the inning.
The Jayhawks battled back to tie the score in the bottom of the third, then took the lead on a two-out double in the bottom of the fourth.
Kayla Ard was the hard-luck loser, giving up just five hits in six innings with a walk and five strikeouts.
Aly Ard had a single and double, Payton Scharff a home run, Kendall Scharff a double and Tayven Sutton, Madi Lawson and Gracie Yoho with a single apiece.
The story was more of the same in Game 2. Kendall Scharff doubled to lead off the second and scored on an RBI grounder from Brooklyn Adams.
But the Wildcats left the bases loaded in the third and left runners in scoring position in the fourth and fifth innings.
Jayhawk-Linn led 2-0 after one and 3-1 after three, before putting the game away with two in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Lawson posted three hits, including a double, while Aly Ard had two singles at the plate, and Payton Scharff had a single and double. Kendall Scharff notched a double.
Kendall Scharff pitched for MV, giving up 11 hits and striking out two.
Marmaton Valley (3-5) hosts St. Paul Monday.
