Lady Bulldogs chained by Lady Warriors in softball play
Published 2:37 pm Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Hampton pitcher Cheyenne Fair sends a pitch to a Lady Warrior batter.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Hampton's second baseman Sophia Cable can't come up with the softball as Happy Valley's Olivia Absher slides safely to the bag.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Happy Valley's Ella Marvel pops the ball up on this pitch.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Safe or out - you make the call. Lady Bulldog Macy Henry stirs up a dust bowl when she slides into third base on a steal. She was called safe by the way,
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders What do you do while your big sister is playing ball? You pick grass of course as this young tyke was doing during the Hampton and Happy Valley softball game on Monday.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Happy Valley's Laura Rice slides safely into third base as the ball bounces away from Hampton's Rachel Fair.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
HAMPTON – Hampton head coach Chelsey Weddle has to feel like the Bill Murray character from the movie Groundhog Day. In that movie, Murray played the role of a weatherman that woke up day after day to the same events that he knew what was coming even before it happened.
Much can be said about Weddle and her Hampton Lady Bulldogs who once again allowed a big inning to Happy Valley in the second just like in previous games and from there it was another solid spanking taken by Hampton as the Lady Warriors went on to defeat the Lady Bulldogs by a 19-1 score.
Happy Valley got rolling early as in the first inning five Lady Warriors came across the plate to score.
The Lady Warriors utilized hits by Alleah Grindstaff, Maddie Lingerfelt, Olivia Absher, and Reagan Street to go along with a walk to Cierra Southerland and an error on a ball hit by Abby Holt to open the gates to the five-run uprising for Coach Cody Hyder’s team.
Holt was popping the mitt in the bottom of the inning as after an initial walk to lead-off batter Sophia Cable, Holt retired three straight Lady Bulldogs on strikeouts to bring the frame to a close with Happy Valley up 5-0.
The second inning blew up on Hampton as Happy Valley rode hot bats to seven hits while Hampton was generous in the field committing three errors to go along with a hit batter to allow the scoring carousel to be wide open as Happy Valley held a commanding 15-0 lead after one and a half innings of action.
Hampton did manage to score a run in their portion of the third inning as Macy Henry led off the inning for the Lady ‘Dogs with a single. A groundout by Rachel Fair advanced Henry to second base.
Henry stole third base and came home on a passed ball to crack the goose egg on Hampton’s side of the scoreboard.
Happy Valley added their final four runs in the top of the fourth inning.
Blakelee Ollis led things off with a single with one out. Trista Bowers was pegged by a pitch and a line out gave Hampton two outs.
However, Happy Valley would get Absher on after being hit by a pitch, Ella Marvel drew a walk to score Ollis with the other two moving up a base as well.
Makayla Miller singled to right field with Absher and Bowers scoring to make it 18-1 Lady Warriors. A Kadie Bailey single plated Marvel with the final run of the contest.
Happy Valley finished with 14 hits in the contest led by Grindstaff, Lingerfelt, and Ollis who all collected two hits each. Lingerfelt, Miller, and Holt each accounted for three RBIs.
Three Lady Warrior pitchers combined on a three-inning, one-hitter against the Lady Bulldogs with Holt, Bailey, and Marvel keeping the Hampton bats silent.
