Kennell hits inside-the-park grand slam, Layer fires 2-hitter as Pioneer advances

Next up: No. 4 N. Newton, 5:30 p.m. today

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Kamryn Newby Ava Beasy (photo provided)

MONON — The Pioneer softball team relied on the long and the short of it against DeMotte Christian in their Class 1A, Sectional 50 quarterfinal at North White Monday.

The short of it included back-to-back bunt singles from Hallie Lebo and Kamryn Newby that triggered a six-run rally in the second inning.

And a big part of it came from sophomore catcher Addison Kennell, who had a double and an inside-the-park grand slam as part of a five-RBI game as Pioneer rolled to a 14-1 win in five innings.

Pioneer improved to 21-10. DeMotte Christian finished 5-8.

Lois Layer pitched a two-hitter with seven strikeouts. By the time DeMotte Christian got their first hit on Cheznie Kooy’s leadoff double in the fourth, Pioneer had already built a 14-0 lead.

Meanwhile, the Lady Panthers had 14 hits. Ten different players had at least one. Ava Beasy also went 3 for 3 with two RBIs, and Madyson Shaffer went 2 for 2 with an RBI.

They also took advantage of two Lady Knight errors on back-to-back errors on grounders from Averi Layer and Hollie Zellers in the first. The inning began with Kooy retiring Newby on a pop to third and Lois Layer on a grounder to short but ended with Pioneer leading 3-0. 

With Newby being the only senior in the starting lineup, Pioneer coach Gabby Thomas was asked about the importance of a good early start.

“I think it did eliminate some sectional nerves,” Thomas said. “There are three freshmen in my infield right now, and one was playing outfield. You say postseason, it’s just another game, but it sometimes means more. And obviously, it means more, but these girls, they have to know it’s just another game.”

Pioneer increased the lead to 9-0 in the second. Lebo and Newby’s safe bunts sandwiched a passed ball. Lebo and Newby then executed a double steal with Lebo stealing home. Layer walked.

Beasy then lined a triple to deep left to score Newby and Layer.

Kennell’s RBI groundout to second base made it 7-0.

Averi Layer singled and went all the way to third when Zellers reached on a sacrifice and an error. 

Shaffer added an RBI sacrifice bunt to the pitcher. Zellers moved to second on the bunt and to third on Lucy Angle’s infield hit before scoring on a wild pitch.

“It was good,” Thomas said of her team’s short game. “We practiced on it last week, knowing going forward, the tougher the tournament gets, that’s going to be a make or break. Those little things add up to big things in big moments.”

Newby reached on an error to start the third and went to second on Lois Layer’s bloop single. Beasy’s single to the hole on the left side loaded the bases. 

Kennell then sizzled a liner to left. The left fielder stretched to try and catch it, but she did not have the angle on it, and it rolled all the way to the wall.

Newby, Lois Layer and Beasy scored easily, and Thomas kept waving. It appeared as if DeMotte Christian would have a play on Kennell at the plate, but the catcher knocked down the ball and it rolled away from her, and Kennell dove and touched the plate with her hand to complete the grand slam.

“I was honestly really surprised,” Kennell said. “I was kind of nervous at the end. If she would have had that ball, I would have been out, but then she bobbled, and I just got in there.”

Angle would add an RBI groundout later in the inning.

Kooy scored on an error in the top of the fourth, but Lois Layer got Allie Myers on a foul pop to Kennell and struck out Abigail McCarty and Ella Rottier and finished out the game in the fifth.

“Definitely my spins,” Lois Layer said when asked what pitches were working. “Just focusing on fundamentals and throwing through the zone and starting ahead and then working into counts.”

Kennell, a sophomore, said she played “a little” catcher as an eighth-grader. She is sharing catcher this year with Beasy. She said assistant coach Abigail Armick has helped her learn the position.

“Thumb down and elbow high but below the glove,” Kennell said. “And just keeping it front. … With Lois, she makes it fun.”

Pioneer will play No. 4 North Newton in the semifinals at 5:30 p.m. today. North Newton blanked North White 4-0 in another quarterfinal. North Newton pitcher Sydney Rainford, an East Carolina recruit, will be pitching in the postseason against Pioneer for the first time since beating the Lady Panthers 1-0 in the 2022 Class 2A sectional semifinals. Rainford had 16 strikeouts against North White.

Pioneer 14, DeMotte Christian 1 (5 innings)

DeMotte Christian 000 10 – 1 2 4

Pioneer 365 0X – 14 14 1

WP – Lois Layer (5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 7 K)

LP – Cheznie Kooy (4 IP, 14 H, 14 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 2 K)

2B – Cheznie Kooy (DMC), Ava Beasy (PIO), Addison Kennell (PIO), Hollie Zellers (PIO)

3B – Ava Beasy (PIO)

HR – Addison Kennell (PIO)