Lady Oracles sting Rossville and Red Devils
By John Dunn Contributing Sportswriter

The Delphi Lady Oracles softball team suffered an unexpected three-game slide before bouncing back into form Monday night with a 13-1 road win at Rossville.

For the second time in successive weeks the Lady Oracles accomplished a feat that had never been done before winning three-straight Hoosier Conference games. Delphi's 3-2 road victory over West Lafayette last Tuesday night was its third-in-arow over a conference opponent, achieved after last week's firstever program victory over Pioneer.

In between, the Lady Oracles dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker on Friday night, playing in a rare match-up against Class 4A Harrison, before unexpectedly dropping a pair against conference foe Twin Lakes on Saturday by scores of 3-2 (8 innings) and 17- 0.

Against Rossville, Delphi came out swinging, anxious to get back into form and hit the Hornets early and often.

The Lady Oracles poundedout 12 hits during the contest, as each Delphi starter had at least one hit.

Lead-off hitter Kayla Yates started things off in the top of the first inning with a single into right field. After stealing both second and third bases, Yates scored on Kristina Barnard's RBI double into left. She would then score after a passed ball and a wild pitch.

Delphi put the game out-ofreach in the top-half of the third inning, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs.

Amanda Schultz led off the hit-barrage with a double to leftcenter, while Brittney Atwood highlighted the inning with a bases-clearing triple.

When it was all said and done, the Lady Oracles led 10-0 heading into the bottom of the third, when Rossville scored its only run on Lynzie White's RBI double into right-center. She scored Amanda Butch who drew a walk to lead-off the inning.

Schultz earned her second victory of the season on the mound, combining with reliever Erika Hawn in allowing only three Lady Hornet hits.

Atwood finished with two triples and three RBIs, while Yates and Leslie Kayser each added two hits to lead the offensive explosion. Barnard, Schultz and Brianne Stauffer each had a double and an RBI, while Emily Kayser also had a double for a season-high six extra-base hits in a game for Delphi.

Hawn added an RBI single and Brittany Tyner had a base-hit to account for all of the offense.

White finished 2-for-2 for the Lady Hornets (1-11), while Jessica Rodkey added a single.

At West Lafayette

The Lady Oracles ran its extra-innings' record to 3-1 on the season with a 9-inning 3-2 victory over West Lafayette (1- 10).

Barnard singled in pinch-runner Aspen Wallace with what proved to be the deciding-run in the top of the 9th inning, and Atwood shut the door on the Red Devils in the bottom-of-the-9th to seal the deal. Wallace was running for catcher Leslie Kayser, who reached base safely on a throwing error.

After WL jumped ahead with a run in the 1st inning, Delphi quickly came back scoring two in the 2nd on back-to-back singles from Atwood and Leslie Kayser, followed by consecutive sacrifice bunts from both Hawn & Tyner to take a 2-1 lead.

Delphi would hold that lead until the Red Devils were able to tie it in their last at-bats in the bottom of the 7th inning.

Atwood relieved Schultz on the mound to earn her sixth victory of the season, allowing only one hit over the final 2 . innings, striking out five. Both runs allowed by Schultz were unearned.

Barnard went 3-of-5, including a triple and the game-winning RBI, while Leslie Kayser went 2-of-4 with an RBI. Schultz added the only other of Delphi's seven hits.

At Harrison

In an efficient and well-played game by both teams which was highlighted with superb defense as neither team committed an error, Delphi lost a close 2-1 nail-biter at Harrison Friday night.

The Lady Oracles jumped on the board first in the top of the 4th inning as Leslie Kayser's RBI double over the centerfielder's head drove in Schultz who had singled with two outs.

But the Lady Raiders clawed back, scoring runs after lead-off hits in both the 4th and 5th innings to win it.

Schultz went 3-for-3 for the Oracles, who were only able to produce four hits in the contest.

Atwood was the hard-luck loser on the mound, despite allowing just seven hits.

Against Twin Lakes

The low-point of the week was a double-header loss to Twin Lakes on Saturday.

After competing hard in a 3-2, 8-inning loss in game one, the Lady Oracles came back with their worst performance of the year in a 17-0 drubbing in game two.

Known for their normal stellar defense, Delphi was a mere shadow of itself on this day, committing seven errors in the first game and 10 more in the second.

A few bright spots on the afternoon included Atwood, who went 2-of-3 with and RBI in game one, along with Barnard who also had two hits, including a double. Emily Kayser added a single and an RBI, while Schultz had a double and Tyner a single for seven Lady Oracle hits.

Atwood's three-hitter from the mound was not good enough to overcome the defensive miscues, as she fell to 6-3 on the season.

Delphi was held to only two hits in the disastrous and embarrassing game two, with singles coming from Schultz and Tyner.

Delphi (8-6) will next take on conference foe Sheridan in a home-and-home series, beginning on Tuesday at Sheridan (too late for print), before hosting the Blackhawks on Thursday at 5:00 pm. The Lady Oracles will then host Tipton for a double-header conference battle on Saturday at 10 a.m., before traveling to Frontier on Monday at 4:30 p.m., and to North White next Tuesday, beginning at 4:30 p.m.