Lady Cyclones take care of business against the Lady Bulldogs, 13-3
Published 4:10 pm Wednesday, March 5, 2025
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
The Lady Cyclones played host to the Hampton Lady Bulldogs on Tuesday night in a cold, blustery kind of day, and although the Lady Cyclones handled the Bulldogs in six innings, the ladies from Hampton did have some good moments.
Hampton jumped on the board early as Emma Hughes smacked a double that looked to be heading out, but the wind held it up just enough to keep it in play as it hit the top of the fence in left. The hit plated two runs as Malory Lamb got a single and Maleah Scalf reached on an error earlier.
The Lady Cyclones quickly retook the lead in the bottom of the second as Piper Bennett roped a triple to deep left. Jozey Reece then hit a deep sac fly to center to score Bennett. All in all, the Lady Cyclones sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the first to make the score 5-2.
After a double by Desiree Walls, starting Lady Cyclones pitcher Lilly McDuffie recorded three strikeouts to get out of the inning. McDuffie helped her cause in the bottom of the second with a triple to the gap in right, and MiKinna Blackwell hit a double as the Lady Cyclones pushed their lead to 7-2.
Hannah Vines got a run back for the Lady Bulldogs when Emma Hughes hit a hard ground ball past short, but the Lady Cyclones offense, which collected 15 hits in the game, went right back to work in the bottom of the third as they picked up three more runs. Reece collected a double, and Sadie Williams hit a rope over left-center to make it 10-3 after three innings. The Lady Cyclones picked up two more runs off a Piper Smith single and a Brook Sparks single.
The Lady Bulldogs kept the Lady Cyclones quiet in the bottom of the fifth, but Sparks hit a home run in the bottom of the sixth to end it. McDuffie picked up the win for the Lady Cyclones, giving up one run off four hits and striking out three. Kaitlyn Grider pitched well in relief for the Cyclones, going three and two-thirds innings and allowing just two hits and no runs. Briley Davis went the distance for the Lady Bulldogs.
Bennett, Williams, McDuffie, Blackwell, Smith, Sparks and Grider picked up multiple hits for the Lady Cyclones. Mallory Lamb and Emma Hughes were a force in the middle of the lineup for the Lady Bulldogs, as both picked up two hits. Hughes also had three RBIs for her efforts.