Thursday night’s action was full of offense as West Greene softball traveled to Chuckey-Doak and left with a 20-7 victory to claim win number one on the season.
The win came at a great time for the Lady Buffs. Not only did it serve as win number one this season, but it happened to be their first District 1-2A game. They started conference play the best way with a run-rule win over the cross-county rival Lady Knights.
“It’s always good to get that first win of the season, especially being a district game. As long as you keep winning those you stay on top so that’s the main thing,” West Greene coach Clinton Haun stated.
In a game including 20 runs there are plenty of outstanding performances. Kaylee Willett and Hayley Arnold both went perfect at the plate and combined for nine hits, six runs, and ten RBI’s. Willett went 4-for-4 with two runs and seven RBI’s. Arnold went 5-for-5 with four runs and three RBI’s. Willett delivered three doubles and Arnold delivered a triple.
“Kaylee has been hitting the piss out of the ball. I mean, I can’t say it any other way. Hayley is starting to get her swing back. She struggled the first two games and she’s finally starting to get back in the swing of things,” Haun explained.
Morgan Brown turned in a complete effort on both sides delivering 3.1 innings of one-hit, five-strikeout ball and went 3-for-3 at the plate with a solo home run, two RBI’s, and three runs.
Abby Cluesman started the game and delivered a quality outing with zero hits, three unearned runs, and four strikeouts in 1.2 innings.
“They both did a heck of a job. It’s hard when you have to find the umpire’s strike zone instead of it being the normal strike zone. Mo did a good job adjusting at times and Abby did a good job adjusting. She’s a freshman and she’s going to work through those growing pains,” Haun mentioned.
The Lady Knights lived off Cluesman’s walks and West Greene’s errors. They only managed to record one hit although they scored seven runs. Hayleigh Seidl was their only hit with a double.
West Greene improved to 1-2 (1-0) and Chuckey-Doak dropped to 1-4 (1-0).
There was no shortage of runs in the first inning with a combined 15 runs. West Greene batted first in the top frame and batted in 10 to start.
Addison Peters drove Cluesman home with a single to left field. Willett drove Peters and Arnold home with her first of three doubles. This one being a bases clearing, 2-RBI double. Amanda Owens sent Willett and Aubree Everett sprinting home with a fly ball into right field. The lineup wrapped around back to the top and Cluesman had the opportunity to deliver a 2-RBI single down the left-field line scoring Brown and Autumn Carter. Willett delivered the final blow with a bases clearing, 3-RBI double scoring Cluesman, Peters, and Arnold.
West Greene led 10-0 after the top half, but Chuckey-Doak capitalized on the herd’s mistakes and scored five in the bottom.
Saniah Atchison scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. Back-to-back hit-by-pitches scored Elizabeth Shelton and Madison Malone. Morgan Collins reached base on an error and helped Seidl score in the process. Another hit-by-pitch with the bases juiced helped Kendra Percell score last.
After one, West Greene led Chuckey-Doak 10-5.
The Lady Buffs went back to work in the top of the second. Cluesman grounded into a fielder’s choice, but gave Brown the opportunity to score from third. Arnold provided a huge 3-RBI triple with two outs and scored Carter, Cluesman, and Peters. Arnold’s RBI’s paid off with a run after Willett’s double helped send her home.
In the bottom half the Lady Buffs almost put up a zero in the box score, but another hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded scored another run with Tralyn Southerland crossing home plate with two outs.
Brown relieved Cluesman in the circle and got the last out and stepped up to the plate in the third inning and drove a deep line drive over the center field wall for a solo home run.
Chloe Reams finished the inning with an RBI-double to drive Shelton across the plate. Brown twirled a three-up and three-down inning to lead West Greene into the fourth leading 17-6. Brown also helped score their only run of the fourth with an RBI-single to score Willett.
The Lady Knights got their only hit of the game from Seidl leading off the fourth with a double. Tralyn Southerland grounded out to Brown, but Seidl managed to score from third to make it 18-7.
West Greene added another pair of runs in the fifth. Peters grounded out, but scored Cluesman and Willett singled and drove Arnold home.
Brown shut the game out with three strikeouts in the fifth to hold on to the ten-run lead and enact the mercy rule. West Greene claimed a 20-7 victory.
West Greene delivered 19 hits to Chuckey-Doak’s lone hit. Both teams committed three errors each.
The Lady Buffs travel to Cosby on Monday for their next action and Chuckey-Doak travels to Happy Valley on Thursday for another District 1-2A game.
