By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
BUCHANAN – In their final home game of the season the Lady Bucks softball team wanted to make sure they sent their four seniors off in winning fashion.
And it was the underclassmen that made sure that the job was completed. Buchanan picked up their final two Lakeland Conference wins of the season blasting past River Valley 8-0 and 10-0.
Leading the Lady Bucks in the field was sophomore pitcher Alexis Lenox. Lenox fired a one-hitter in the opener and came back in game two to pitch a 5-inning no hitter finishing the day with 21 strike outs in the two games while walking just one in the night cap.
The Mustangs only hit of the day came in the top of the sixth of game one.
At the plate, the underclassmen provided the power as the Lady Bucks cranked out 13 hits in the pair of shut outs. Junior Jayme O'Bryant powered a shot into the teeth of a stiff wind for a 3-run home run in the second inning of the opener and punched a triple in game two.
Sophomore Rachel Downs added a double in game one and a triple in the second. Senior Kayla Nelson led the senior contingent with three singles in 8-0 win over the Mustangs.
Sophomore Rachel Briggs stepped up in game two adding a triple and a single.
The doubleheader win improves the Lady Bucks to 20-12 and gives them a second place league finish with a record of 11-3.
Buchanan will travel to the Bronson Invitational on Saturday.
First Game
River Valley 000 000 0 – 0 1 1
Buchanan 131 102 x – 8 8 0
WP – Alexis Lenox (B) and Emily Ross
LP- Shelby Holman (RV) and Chelsea Baker
HR: Jayme O'Bryant (B)
2B: Rachel Downs (B)
1B: Kayla Nelson-3 (B)
Second Game
River Valley 000 0 – 0 4 0
Buchanan 044 x – 10 5 0
WP – Alexis Lenox (B) and Emily Ross
LP – Shelby Holman (RV), Brittany Sokolowski (4) and Chelsea Baker
3B- Jayme O'Bryant (B), Rachel Briggs (B)