Home run parade sends Lone Tree to softball win in tourney

LONE TREE

Ellen Carow took out the home scoreboard in her final high school home game Friday night.

Final home game ever.

Carow, a Lone Tree senior, slammed a pitch from New London’s Marlianna Woodsmall over the left-field fence in the opening inning for a two-run home run that was an early crushing blow in the Lions’ 9-7 victory in the first round of a Class 1A regional tournament. The ball crashed into the scoreboard and out it went for the remainder of the game.

A knockout.

“She ended up ripping it,” Lone Tree head coach Jovonte Squiers said.

Carow’s blast was one of three home runs in a nine-hit night for the Lions.

“We spent a lot of time this last week just hitting the ball, working on mechanics,” Squiers said.

Carow’s homer was her first of the season. She also had another hit, a double, and drove in five runs and scored three times herself. Senior teammates Arlie Lorack and Kinley Hayes also hit homers.

The victory advances Lone Tree to the quarterfinal round of Region 8. The Lions play at Wapello at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Lorack had a game-high three hits Friday and got the win in the circle, striking out nine.