Van-Far softball went the extra mile for a win on Thursday just like it did for Marlo.
The Lady Indians didn't get the win in a 17-13 nine-inning loss to Eastern Missouri Conference foe Bowling Green, but they did raise money for Marlo Hunn, a Van-Far gradute whose daughter, Carly, is a junior on the team. Van-Far (3-15, 1-5 EMO) and Bowling Green (6-10, 2-3 EMO) wore uniforms with pink for call attention to breast cancer, but all of their hearts were with people with other kinds of cancer such as Marlo Hunn.
"It was definitely something that warms my heart," senior catcher Kenya Jones said when asked what the support for her teammate means to the team. "My mom had breast cancer last year. That sits with me, too. It's nice being part of the community, realizing that people do go through things and just being there for people shows in this town."
Jones finished 3-for-6 with three RBIs and her third home run of the season, Adyson Barnett was 4-for-6 with three RBIs and two doubles, Elliott Utterback went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, Bryanna Stanich finished 3-for-4 with three runs, and Taelyn Ward was 2-for-3. Kylie Dameron pitched four innings in relief with four hits, three walks and one earned run.
Van-Far trailed until taking a 12-11 lead in the sixth inning after an Ashlyn Marshall sacrifice fly. Bowling Green tied the game in the seventh inning and scored five runs in the ninth inning to avoid its first loss to Van-Far since 2013.
"There were three key moments," head coach Cameron Huff said. "Kylie Dameron coming in and pitching because she pitched phenomenally well, Taelyn Ward coming in off the bench and entering her as the designated player and then for the lineup, and Kenya Jones hitting that two-run home run that sparked in the bottom of the fourth. We started rolling after that."
Van-Far plays Senior Night at 5 p.m. Monday against conference and district foe Wellsville-Middletown (1-10, 0-4 EMO).
Read a full story about Van-Far softball's progress this season in the Wednesday, September 30, 2026 edition of the Mexico Ledger.
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