The Manchester softball team concluded what was a very successful week on Thursday with a 22-0 victory over Triton at home. Molly Schannep led the way by giving up no hits in the circle, and her offense did more than enough to support her, with most of the damage coming in a 15-run second inning.
Schannep had to work around two walks in the top of the first, but did so with ease. Generating soft contact, the senior used three balls hit in the infield to get out of the early jam.
On the other side, Manchester needed just two pitches to take its first lead of the game. First up was Ava Sautter, who crushed the first pitch she saw and ended up on third with a triple. One pitch later, Alexis Jarrett went opposite field for a triple of her own, scoring Sautter in the process. Jarrett and Hadley West also scored in the inning as the Lady Squires opened up a 3-0 lead.
Schannep began the second inning with another solid frame in the circle. She struck out her first two hitters of the game and worked around another walk to hold her opponents scoreless.
The bottom of the second was a special inning for the Lady Squires. The inning started with four straight walks, which resulted in another RBI for Jarrett. With the bases still loaded two hitters later, West came up and singled to drive in two more runs. A few hitters later, Karsyn Kamphues attempted a bunt, which ended up leading to two runs being scored.

    Triton sophomore Eleanor Hernandez delivers a pitch during Thursday evening's game at Manchester...Nieter

Things didn’t stop there. With the bases loaded once more, Maryssa Stroud, who began the inning with a walk, got a hold of one. She’d clear the bases with a three-RBI double. Izzy Renz got in on the action on her second trip to the plate, singling to drive in two more runs. Still continuing to pour it on, West drove in two more runs on her next trip up, giving her four RBIs in the inning. A sacrifice bunt by Kamphues gave her three, and as a team, Manchester scored 15 runs in the inning to take an insurmountable 18-0 lead after just two innings.
After another scoreless inning by Schannep, the Lady Squires went right back to work offensively. With two runners in scoring position, Audra Tobias, one of numerous pinch hitters in the inning, found a way to bring both home with a single. Kamphues also added another RBI in the inning, and after three, Manchester led 22-0.
The top of the fourth was Schannep’s quickest inning in the circle yet, as she retired the side in order to keep the Lady Trojans scoreless and hitless with just three outs left to work with. The bottom of the fourth was the only scoreless inning for the Lady Squires in the game, as Triton was able to turn a nice 1-3 double play to send things to the fifth.
With a 22-run lead to work with, the game’s final inning lacked the dramatics. Schannep was able to finish the job on the mound, completing her no-hitter and giving Manchester it’s third win in a row.
Manchester (7-5) is at Wabash on Monday, while Triton (0-9) is at North White Saturday.