With a bit of rain and thunder threatening, the Collinsville High School softball team took to the field to play Alton Marquette Wednesday afternoon.

Audrey Allard / Photo by Sherry Holten

The teams completed two innings before the skies finally opened up and forced an hour-long rain delay. After the teams retook the field, the Explorers (9-23 overall) defeated the Lady Kahoks 6-3.

At the time of the delay, neither team had scored a run. The Lady Kahoks (15-17 overall) had a few chances in the first inning after starting the game with back-to-back singles, but the Explorers kept them off the scoreboard.

Collinsville’s offense suffered no ill effects after the delay. In the top of the third, sophomore center fielder Becky Gibbs led off with a single. She was able to take third on junior second baseman Paige Giacoletto’s sacrifice bunt. Freshman left fielder Emily Lautz then drove in the game’s first run with a single.

Alton Marquette tied the game at one in the bottom of the third. After that, the Lady Kahoks’ bats were mostly quiet until the top of the seventh inning.

At that point, the Explorers were winning 6-1. The starting pitcher for Collinsville, sophomore Sidney Bost, led the inning off with a triple. Junior shortstop Audrey Allard drove Bost in with a single, and Allard scored the final run of the day after Gibbs’ third hit of the day, a single.

Gibbs was 3-for-4 on the day, with a run scored. Sophomore catcher Kassidy Smith was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Lautz was 1-for-3 with an RBI, as was Allard, who added a run scored.

Bost was 1-for-3 with a triple and run scored. She also pitched six innings and allowed six runs on eight hits and six walks. She hit a batter and struck out two.

Collinsville plays a Southwestern Conference match-up against Granite City Thursday, May 22, at 4:30 p.m. at home.