TRURO — The Interstate 35 Roadrunners, ranked eighth in Class 3A, split with a pair of ranked teams, and also picked up a win over Pleasantville to improve to 9-2 for the season.
The Roadrunners held on for 12-9 win over Wayne, which was ranked 10th in Class 1A, after jumping out to an 8-1 lead over the Falcons on June 10.
Brooke Brommel drove hom Jenna Sandquist in the first inning with a single to right-center field, giving the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead.
Wayne quickly tied it up at 1-1 in the second inning when Breanna Fortune scored on a Demi Austin single.
But the Roadrunners struck for seven runs in the bottom of the third inning, highlighted by a grand slam home run by senior Brittany Mease. Eighth-grader Keann Williamson drove in two runs in the inning with a double down the left field line.
Interstate 35 seemed to be in control of the game with an 8-1 lead, but Wayne began chipping away at that lead in the top of the fourth inning.
The Falcons scored three runs in the inning, getting RBI singles from Shania Austin and Gabriela Buban. Wayne also scored on an Interstate 35 error.
The Roadrunners answered right back with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, as Slye Richardson singled home a run and Williamson and Sandquist each drove in one run by drawing walks.
Wayne pushed across four runs in the top of the fifth inning, however, making it 11-8.
Sandquist relieved freshman pitcher Carlyn Stanley in the fifth inning, and after issuing a walk and surrendering a two-run single, settled down to get out of the inning.
Sandquist gave up one run in the top of the sixth inning, but limited the damage after that. She finished with six strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings of relief.
Stanley allowed seven runs on seven hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.
Just one night later, on June 11, the Roadrunners lost a close 4-2 battle with Murray, then ranked 13th in Class 1A.
Mease hit another home run to cut Murray's lead to 3-1, but the Lady Mustangs answered back in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 4-1. Sandquist cut the lead to 4-2 in the top of the fifth inning, but that score held until the end of the game.
Sandquist took the loss in the pitching circle for the Roadrunners, tossing seven innings with seven hits allowed, three walks and four strikeouts.
Murray got a big two-run double out of freshman Brandi Gilbert in the third inning. Madison Gonseth and Megan Oswald each drove in one run.
Kate Patton picked up the win, giving up eight hits, along with five walks and five strikeouts.
Interstate 35 then picked up an 8-3 win over Pleasantville on June 12.
Sandquist was the star of the game, going 2-for-2 at the plate with two walks, two home runs, two stolen bases and three RBI.
Freshman Josie Wikcett drove in two runs, while Brommel, Shai Major and Richardson each drove in one. Stanley struck out nine in the winning effort in the pitching circle.
