The Lady Jackets swarmed to a 7-nil advantage and withstood a grand slam retaliation, while fending off Strasburg for a 10-5 victory in the season opener at the Moorefield Town Park on Thursday.
“I was very impressed with our hitting this evening and I told them at the end of the game that I was proud that they didn’t just give up after the grand slam and they assured me that would never happen,” Moorefield Softball Coach Tammie Ayers commented.
“As a coach, you always worry that it can dampen the mood and get the moral down, but the girls fought and kept hitting after that. We hit the ball well. Some good hard hits which wasn’t too shabby with the lousy weather and having indoor hitting stations.”
It was a chilly evening for a softball game, so it took one full inning for Moorefield to warm up the bats before a four-run second inning.
Moorefield pitcher Hanna Carlson hurled a complete game allowing seven hits and tossing three strikeouts with a defense limiting just one run through the first four innings prior to the grand slam in the fifth inning by Lady Rams freshman Natalie Hott and gave up no more runs afterwards.
“Hanna [Carlson] did an awesome job on the mound and we’ve worked on hitting our spots. I had some trouble with her throwing an inside pitch, but she is coming around to realize how dangerous a lefty is throwing an inside pitch and how intimidating that is to a batter,” Coach Ayers noted.
Strasburg started the game with a single to center field by Madi Foltz, then Carlson jammed Taylor Bowers for a pop-out, struck out Morgan Richards and forced Kaitlyn Capps into a groundout fielded by shortstop Rebekah Markwood over to Alyssa Vetter at first base.
Moorefield went down in order on groundouts hit by Markwood (SS), Emma Baker (P) and Remington Hinkle (SS) off Strasburg pitcher Kaitlyn Capps.
Hott smacked a single into left field and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Delaney Stickley to start the second inning, then Kassy Bly’s grounder ricocheted off of Carlson and was fielded by Baker with the throw to Vetter putting a runner in scoring position for Strasburg.
Hott was left stranded on a groundout as the game remained scoreless.
Moorefield’s Anna Riggleman got the bats talking with a single into left center field as the ball just eluded the glove of Foltz at shortstop.
Macie Zirk executed a sacrifice bunt to move Riggleman over, who stole third base with a throw from catcher Emily Smoot which was off the mark.
After a walk to Vetter put runners on the corners for the Lady Jackets, Riggleman scored on a passed ball for a 1-0 edge.
Carlson singled on a short chopper in the dirt down the third base line and advanced on pitch deflecting off Smoot’s glove to the dugout.
Moorefield freshman catcher Alyson Simmons ripped a two-run producing double to center field for a 3-0 lead.
Moorefield senior right fielder Makaleigh Snyder followed with an RBI single and advanced to second base on the late throw home as Simmons came across the plate.
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Groundouts by Markwood and Baker ended the frame with the Lady Jackets up 4-0.
Strasburg’s Hanna Alexander notched a leadoff single in the third inning and was stranded after two catches in right field by Snyder and a groundout fielded by Carlson to Vetter.
Moorefield freshman Remington Hinkle stepped to the plate in the bottom of the third inning and launched a solo home run for a 5-nil advantage.
Riggleman hit a blooper into left field which was missed on a dive by Bowers and the speedy base running created a triple on the error.
A walk was issued by Capps to Zirk as the Lady Jackets now had runners on the corners, then Vetter sliced a two-RBI double to left field to extend the lead to 7-0.
After a meeting at the circle, Capps recorded a strikeout before Simmons connected for a single into center field and both runners were stranded on a pair of groundouts.
In the fourth inning, the Lady Rams would get one run on the board.
Capps singled to right center and Hott punched the ball to the left center fence for a double, then Carlson countered with a strikeout.
Bly hit the ball to Vetter, who applied the tag as Capps scored the run and inning ended on a sensational dive along the right field line by Snyder which was described as the defensive play of the game by Coach Ayers.
“Makaleigh Snyder did an awesome job in the outfield and I’d probably say she had the defensive play of the game,” Coach Ayers remarked.
The Lady Jackets managed one runner in the bottom half of the frame against Strasburg pitcher Natalie Hott as Baker grounded out, Hinkle struck out, Riggleman walked and Zirk grounded out.
Alexander hit a leadoff single for the Lady Rams, then Foltz hit into a fielder’s choice by Baker to Markwood.
Carlson issued a walk to Bowers, then a fielder’s choice off the bat of Richards was collected by Carlson and turned into an error over at third base to load the bases.
Hott crushed a grand slam over the center field fence to cut the deficit to 7-5 and Carlson finished the frame catching a line drive.
Vetter was hit by a pitch on a full-count to start the bottom of the fifth inning for Moorefield before a pop-up by Carlson.
Simmons drew a walk and Snyder bunted in the air with the catch made by Smoot, but the throw to second base went awry as the runners advanced.
Markwood gave the Lady Jackets a 10-5 lead with a three-run blast.
A strikeout to Baker ended the inning.
In the top of the sixth inning, Strasburg went down in order on groundouts fielded by Baker, Vetter and Markwood.
Hinkle garnered a leadoff single into left field, then Riggleman reached on a fielder’s choice and was caught stealing by Smoot prior to Hott throwing a strikeout to Zirk.
Strasburg’s Madi Foltz sent a fly ball into left center field which was tracked down by Hinkle, but escaped the glove for an error to begin the seventh inning.
A flyout to Riggleman and a strikeout by Carlson inched the Lady Jackets closer to the win.
Capps was hit by a pitch as the Lady Rams had two runners aboard, but Snyder sealed the victory with a catch in right field off the bat of Hott.
“Absolutely proud of the effort, we were down 7-0 and came back to make it 7-5. For us tonight, we hit the ball much better than in our scrimmages and first home game,” Strasburg Softball Coach Suzanne Mathias stated.
“I’m pleased with what I saw at the plate and the effort that we gave coming back. It’s early on and just a matter of taking it one out at a time and learning from there to be confident in their abilities to make plays. Natalie is a freshman and she had a home run on her first night and her first grand slam tonight, hopefully she continues.”
Moorefield marked the season opener in the win column, showing the hitting power, defense and pitching is there for a potential dominant year in hopes of returning to the state tournament.
In JV action, the Lady Jackets won 9-0 with Carmen Ketterman pitching.
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