Rock Creek nabbed the lead late in the game in a 12-10 victory over St. Marys on Monday.  The game was tied at ten with Mustangs batting in the bottom of the sixth when Demi Kunkel singled on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring one run. There was plenty of action on the base paths as both teams collected 17 hits. In the first inning, St. Marys got on the board quickly, scoring 2. The Mustangs answered with two of their own via a leadoff walk to Kunkel followed by Brook Dillon’s single. Dillon stole 3^rd and Laney Scott executed a squeeze bunt for a single to score Dillon.  In the third inning, senior Haley Petty hit a solo homerun followed by senior Maddi Figge doubling to eventually score by Leighton Herrman laying down a perfect squeeze bunt. Rock Creek trailed the entire game until the bottom of the 6^th, when the team would plate 5 runs. The decisive inning included 5 consecutive hits, led by Haley Petty singling, Figge belting out her 2^nd double of the game, Tatum Brunkow doubling off the fence, a Leighton Herrman single and a Kunkel single. The Mustang defense held in the top of the 7^th to complete the exciting come from behind win. Morgan Searle was the winning pitcher for the Mustangs, striking out four. Megan Prockish, Petty, and Kunkel all had three hits to lead Rock Creek.

Game 2 of the twinbill started in the same manner, St. Marys notched 2 runs in the top of the inning – only in this game, the Mustangs answered loudly putting up 9 runs in the home half of the bottom of the first. The team grabbed an early lead on its way to a 13-3 victory over St. Marys on Monday.  Rock Creek scored 9 via singles by Sydney Montgomery, Brook Dillon, Demi Kunkel, Tatum Brunkow; doubles by Maddi Figge, Megan Prockish and Laney Scott, and a home run by Demi Kunkel (who went 2-2 in the ½ inning) Rock Creek secured the victory thanks to nine runs in the first inning.  Rock Creek committed only 1 defensive error in the game and tallied 14 hits in game 2. (31 hits on the night) Montgomery and Kunkel each collected three hits to lead Mustangs. Morgan Searle got the win for Mustangs. She went five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and walking zero.

Rock Creek will have a busy week next week when they travel to Riley County on Tuesday, April 24^th and then host Clay Center on Friday, April 27^th.

Rock Creek host games that were slated to be played on Thursday, May 3^rd, games got started, but suspended after 1 ½ innings were played because of rain and lots of it. Rock Creek still celebrated their seniors with a meal and an event at the school, but games resumed on Friday, May 4^th at 3:00.

Rock Creek fell behind early, only 1-0 and then 3-0 through 4 innings, but couldn’t come back in an 11-0 loss to Silver Lake. Rock Creek managed just 4 hits and as many errors in the game. Carmen Mallon took the loss for Mustangs. She surrendered 11 runs on 13 hits over six innings, striking out two.  Demi Kunkel went 2-for-2 at the plate to lead Rock Creek’s offense. Sydney Montgomery doubled in the game and Maddi Figge had the other lone hit.

In the 2^nd game, Rock Creek lost 7-2 loss to Silver Lake. Rock Creek had better offense in game two, but still had 4 errors in the field. Of the 7 hits, Kierra Mosby and Brook Dillon each notched 2, Haley Petty, Laney Scott and Montgomery each found their way on with hits.   Morgan Searle took the loss for Mustangs. She surrendered seven runs on ten hits over seven innings, striking out two with no free passes.

Between games, the Rock Creek softball family was able to celebrate the contributions of 5 seniors.  Brook Dillon, daughter of Todd Dillon and Shaney Kolde, Madison Figge, daughter of Travis & Cherie Figge, Demi Kunkel, daughter of Woody Kunkel and Gena Larson, Carmen Mallon, daughter of George & Cheryl Mallon and Haley Petty, daughter of Duane & Bobbi Petty.

Rock Creek will travel to Rossville on Tuesday, May 8 for their final regular season games, prior to hosting regionals on Tuesday, May 15^th at Rock Creek.  Teams in the regionals are Holton, Jeff West, Hayden and Rock Creek.  Those brackets will be available after the 10^th.

Rock Creek JV watched the game slip away early and couldn’t recover in a 13-3 loss to Riley County on Monday, April 23.  The Mustang JV struggled to put runs on the board and had a tough time defensively containing Riley County, giving up 13 runs. Riley County scored seven runs in the third inning. Gracie Ward pitched for the loss in game one, allowing ten hits and 13 runs over five innings, striking out three. Kierra Mosby led Rock Creek with three hits in as many at bats, one being a triple. Alyssa McCormack doubled in the game. Jenna Weers and Josie McFall each notched a single.

In game two Rock Creek had a big third inning that propelled them to victory 15-2 over the Falcons of Riley County. Rock Creek scored nine runs in the third inning. The offense in the inning came from singles by Jenna Weers, Kaiton Padget, and Danae Adams, a triple by Alyssa McCormack, a fielder’s choice by Kierra Mosby, and a double by Kara Riffel.  Riley had a 1-0 lead in the first two innings, but the big 3^rd inning wiped that lead away. Gracie Ward is credited with the victory from the mound. She allowed four hits and two runs over five innings, striking out three. Rock Creek scattered 13 hits in the game. Adams, Alyssa McCormack, Padget, Weers, and Riffel each racked up multiple hits. Adams led Rock Creek with three hits in three at bats. Rock Creek didn’t commit a single error in the field.

Rock Creek JV is 6-4 on the season.

Morgan Searle threw a shutout to lead Mustangs past Riley County 12-0, in the first game played on Tuesday. (the games started over an hour early to avoid the rainy weather forecast). Rock Creek secured the victory thanks to seven runs in the fifth inning, securing the run rule. Rock Creek never trailed in the game, scoring in the 2^nd,3^rd, 4^th and 5^th innings.   The lone run in the 2^nd inning came off the bat of sophomore Sydney Montgomery’s solo home run. In the 2^nd inning, Rock Creek had a 3 run 2-out rally that stared with singles from Demi Kunkel and Brook Dillon, followed by short game execution from Laney Scott and another single from Haley Petty.  The offensive onslaught in the 5^th inning came from short game play from Leighton Herrman, Megan Prockish, and Laney Scott, singles by Haley Petty and Demi Kunkel, a triple by Brook Dillon. Searle went all five innings, allowing four hits in the shutout, while striking out four. Rock Creek notched 11 hits in the game.  Kunkel, Dillon, Montgomery, and Petty each racked up multiple hits.  Dillon and Kunkel each collected three hits to lead Rock Creek.  Mustangs tore up the base paths, Kunkel and Dillon each had 2, Scott and RIffel each added one

Mustangs fell behind early and couldn’t come back in a 9-3 loss to Riley County on Tuesday in game two.  Rock Creek struggled to contain the offense of Riley County and fell behind early in the 9-3 loss. Rock Creek had 5 hits as a team two each from Dillon and Kunkel and a single from Morgan Searle. The lack of offense paired with a couple defensive errors didn’t bode well for the Mustangs.  Searle took the loss from the mound.  Defensively, Rock Creek did turn a double play as well as picked off 2 runners from 3^rd with throws from senior catcher Demi Kunkel to senior 3^rd baseman Haley Petty.

“I was very proud of our efforts both defensively and offensively in game one. Our short game and base running was as good as it’s been all year. For the night, you can’t ask more from seniors Brook Dillon and Demi Kunkel. 5 hits each and stellar play and base running. Kudos to each of these kids.  Morgan did a solid job through game one to manage some quality Riley County hitters, after seeing her a few times, we needed to make more adjustments.  If we can replicate game one, we can play with any team we face.”

Rock Creek is 5-5 on the season with games slated for Friday at home against Clay Center, followed by a makeup game on Monday at home against Abilene.

Despite a 10-run deficit in the fourth inning, (down 11-1) Rock Creek almost made a huge comeback and had their chances, eventually falling 14-13 to Clay Center in game one on Friday. The mustangs notched eight runs in the fourth inning. Leighton Herrman, Brook Dillon, Laney Scott, Sydney Montgomery, and Maddi Figge each had RBIs in the frame. Searle took the loss for Mustangs. She went two and two-thirds innings, allowing 11 runs on 11 hits, striking out one and walking one.  Carmen Mallon pitched in relief. Rock Creek hit two home runs in the 1^st game. Kunkel had a four bagger in the third inning. Montgomery had a long ball in the fourth inning. The team collected 13 hits in the game. Tatum Brunkow, Figge, Kunkel, and Scott all managed multiple hits. Figge and Brunkow each collected three hits. Rock Creek stole eight bases during the game, Prockish led the way with two.

Four RBIs from Demi Kunkel weren’t enough as Rock Creek fell to Clay Center 25-6 on Friday. Kunkel drove in runs on a home run in the first, a home run in the second, and a double in the third. Despite the loss, Rock Creek did collect 11 hits in the high-scoring affair. Unfortunately, Clay Center had 20 hits on the way to victory.  Rock Creek had an early lead, up 3-2 at the end of the 2^nd, but Clay Center took the lead for good with 11 runs in the third inning. Rock Creek used all three varsity pitchers in the game, Morgan Searle took the loss for Mustangs. She lasted one and one-third innings, allowing seven hits and nine runs while striking out one. Carmen Mallon and Gracie Ward finished up the game. The mustangs collected 11 hits again, Kunkel, Brunkow, and Montgomery all collected multiple hits. Kunkel went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead with 2 homeruns, a triple and a double.  “As a team, we don’t want to ever believe that we are out of any contest, so our resolve and resilience in game one, to hit like we did and give ourselves a chance, was nice to see.  The reason, however that we are in that situation is self-induced; poor mound presence, weak defensive awareness and a general lack of communication are sure signs that we lacked what it took, and that continued into game two.  We should, with the players that we have, expect more of ourselves, and demand it from one another. We had 24 hits on the night, but give up 40, and that doesn’t include our errors and walks. We have to get some things ironed out if we expect to make a regional run.”

Rock Creek has a heavy schedule coming up. Today (Monday vs. Abliene in makeup games), tomorrow on the road to Wabaunsee tomorrow, and then Senior night Thursday at home against Silver Lake.

Mustang JV competes in Holton Tournament; goes 1-2 on the day.

Rock Creek JV softball traveled to Holton for an 8 team tournament. Rock Creek faced Holton in the opening game, falling behind early and couldn’t come back in a 16-3 loss on Saturday. Rock Creek Mustangs JV struggled to contain the high-powered offense of Holton, giving up 16 runs.  Gracie Ward took the loss for Rock Creek. She went four innings, allowing 16 runs on 11 hits and striking out five. Kara Riffel, Kierra Mosby, Danae Adams, and Ward each managed one hit in the contest.

In game two of the day, Rock Creek JV defeated Hiawatha in a blowout 14-5; thanks to 10 runs in the 2^nd inning by the mustangs.  Melanie Holmes, Brianna Bradstered, Adams and Kaiton Padget each added hits and runs in the inning. Mia Leon led the Rock Creek JV to victory on the pitcher’s mound. She allowed six hits and five runs over four innings, striking out six.  Gracie Ward, Kayla Malbrough, and Kyla McCormack each added hits.  Left fielder Alyssa McCormack did a great job catching during the game.

In the final game of the tournament and season for the Mustangs’ JV, Rock Creek faced a talented Silver Lake team and fell 17-3. Silver Lake got things moving in the first inning, scoring 7.  Rock Creek notched three runs in the second inning. The offense was led by Kyla McCormack and Kierra Mosby, who drove in runs.  Gracie Ward pitched for the mustangs while striking out two.

Kara Riffel, Danae Adams, Ward, Kyla McCormack, Josie McFall, and Alyssa McCormack (double) each managed hits during the game for the mustangs.

Rock Creek JV finishes the season 7-6 with several cancelled games due to weather or opponents not having enough eligible players. Thanks to everyone who supported our JV team throughout the season.