In a game that was more about supporting Southern Boone player Brooklyn Smith -- who was recently diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma -- Fulton softball beat North Callaway 15-0 in a three-inning run-rule victory Monday in Fulton.
The Hornets' offense just couldn't stop scoring runs, no matter who the Ladybirds had in the circle. And Fulton starter Mylee Hawkins kept sending North Callaway hitters to the dugout, no matter who she faced.
In the bottom of the first inning, North Callaway made two outs -- with a double in between the outs -- before the Hornets put runs on the board.
After the Ladybirds got the second out, the Hornets responded with three straight hits and three runs.
Madison Bright started the two-out rally, hitting an RBI single past North Callaway's second baseman. Following Jayna Hedgpath's single, Fulton drove in the final two runs of the inning on Layla Underwood's double down the right-field line.
During the second inning, the Hornets' offense tacked on another five runs, with the hits starting after Hawkins lined out to Ladybirds pitcher Lauren Speight -- who used her quick reflexes to catch the ball.
Speight started the frame off with an incredible play, but she was also responsible for the first run Fulton scored in the inning. Reagan Echelmeier hit a ground ball to Speight, who threw the ball over the first baseman's head, which allowed one run to score and sent Echelmeier to third.
That play was the start of four straight run-scoring at-bats for the Hornets. Samantha Hedgpath made it 5-0 with an RBI single; Brilee Ash crushed an RBI double to the wall in left-center; Madison Bright gave Fulton a 7-0 lead with a double down the left-field line.
Bright was the final batter Speight faced, as North Callaway coach Mariah McKee brought in Ellie Bedsworth.
Bedsworth sent Jayna Hedpath to first after hitting her with a pitch on a 3-2 count. Right after that, Underwood drove home the final run of the inning with an RBI single to shallow right field.
Fulton's five-run second inning was two more runs than it scored in the first. That theme continued as the Hornets scored seven runs in the third en route to a run-rule victory.
North Callaway gave up a leadoff walk, then allowed two batters to reach on errors before Samantha Hedgpath hit an RBI single to shallow right field. The single was the start of five straight run-scoring plays.
Ash put Fulton up 11-0, smacking a two-RBI single to center field. In her third and final at-bat of the game, Bright drove in a run for the third time, singling down the left-field line.
The Hornets extended their lead to 13-0 when Jayna Hedgpath reached second base on a throwing error by the Ladybirds' shortstop.
Like Bright, Underwood drove in a run all three times she was at the plate. Underwood concluded the string of scoring plays with an RBI single down the left-field line.
Underwood's sister, Natalie Underwood, walked in the next at-bat. Then, North Callaway made its only out of the inning when Hawkins popped out.
That was the only out the Ladybirds made in the inning before Karlie Schoening finished off the run-rule victory with an RBI single.
"Nothing changes," Fulton coach Tim Echelmeier said. "I mean, the approach -- we try to, like we've talked about before -- was let's just go out and win every inning. The goal is to go out and play to your best ability. To go out there every pitch be locked in and ready to play."
Not only were Fulton's hitters too much for North Callaway, but its pitching was as well.
In the circle for the Hornets was Hawkins, who threw a three-inning no-hitter while striking out eight. The sophomore did allow leadoff walks in the first and second inning but struck out the side in both innings.
"She's gonna get her strikeouts," Echelmeier said. "She threw well, like to clean up a little bit the leadoff walks and the two-out walks with nobody on. But overall her performance was very good today."
Besides the three walks, North Callaway was able to work the counts against Hawkins and had one runner reach on a fielder's choice -- other than that the Ladybirds couldn't do much of anything.
"I mean, it is what it is," McKee said. "I mean, they're 20-4 now. They throw the ball hard; we knew that they were gonna throw the ball hard. Didn't matter which pitcher they had. They have a ton of talented pitchers. So, we knew that was going to be the case. And all we can do as batters is like you said, work the count."
Regardless of the result, both teams did their part to support Southern Boone's Smith. Before the game, the teams gathered for a pregame prayer.
Smith and her family then joined the Fulton players for a photo opportunity, and received a softball and a $2,900 check from the school to help with her medical expenses.
During the contest, the Hornets' junior varsity players took donations from fans.
After the game was over and they talked to their team, Echelmeier and McKee shared what the special night of honoring Smith meant to them.
"It was special," Echelmeier said. "This was all the kids (that) did this with Ms. (Carissa) Ash. They put the whole thing together. They got the shirts, did the whole thing. So, it's good for them to do a community service. And it also, being a softball player that they played with and against in the summers, it was really nice to see them give to a fellow athlete. It was a good night."
Meanwhile, some of North Callaway's players were also travel ball teammates with Smith over the summer.
"Well, three -- might be three or four of my girls actually -- played with her for traveling softball," McKee said. "So they know her and it's been hard on them. When it hits so close to home and they've been really like trying to play for her. And just doing everything they can to keep high spirits about it. And bless her and I just hope that she can fight through this. She's got a whole bunch of people behind her, and so we're just rooting for her and want to do whatever we can to help."
Up next, Fulton (20-4, 6-0) will play North Central Missouri Conference opponent Kirksville (9-6, 3-2) at 5 p.m. today in Kirksville.
"It's the game that I have circled for this week on the calendar," Echelmeier said. "We always seem to struggle at Kirksville; they always are real competitive. ...A win tomorrow goes a long way to winning the conference this year. So, it's a long road trip. And it's one that they're gonna have to come out and play hard."
Next up, North Callaway (6-10, 4-2) will play Eastern Missouri Conference opponent Louisiana (6-7, 3-3) at 5 p.m. today in Louisiana, Missouri.
"They're a little better this year," McKee said. "We're gonna have to take care of the ball and do what we need to do to win the game. And as long as we show up and take care of business, it should be alright. But we have to show up and we have to do what we need to do."