CLEVELAND — The Lady Pirates had no trouble with Tarkington, downing the Lady Longhorns 16-3 on Thursday.
After Tarkington evened the score 3-3 in the 3rd, the Lady Pirates unleashed a 13-run offensive attack in the 4th, fueled by Neveah Murphy’s 3 hits and a triple by Jayci Wilson and a double by Adison Simpson gave them 3 RBIs each. Chloe Fuller added to the offense with 4 walks.
Isabelle Hooper earned the win in relief, allowing just 1 hit while striking out 7. Wilson gave up 4 hits but struck out 4.
Coldspring
The Lady Trojans hammered New Waverly twice, playing an 11-1 April Fool’s joke on the Lady Bulldogs, and followed that with a 15-0 blanking on Friday.
On April 1, Jasper Williams and Camry Barton each had 2 hits apiece in the effort, with Jasper cracking off a triple. Trinity Rosales and Ashney Minor traded off mound duty, combining for eight strikeouts while giving up only 3 hits in the 5-inning game.
On Friday, 5 hits and 6 stolen bases helped Coldspring score 6 runs in the first inning and 9 in the third, with Ashney Minor leading the way with 2 hits and 2 runs. Trinity Rosales added a double at the plate but shined on the mound with 4 strikeouts over the 3-inning game.
Boys
The Coldspring Trojans split with New Waverly in last week’s district action, losing 10-3 on April 1 but winning a nailbiter 10-9 on Friday.
On April 1, Head Coach Austin Riddell said the mound was the problem.
“Pitching was not outstanding, defense was great at times and sloppy in others,” he said. “Our whole season, most of the losses have come from one horrific inning. We have got to find ways to manufacture outs even when we do not have our best stuff.”
Tuesday’s pitching duties were split between Nolan Beaver and Jordan Ash. Beaver started on the mound, pitching just one inning, allowing five hits, five runs, and issuing two walks. Ash came in for relief and pitched the remaining five innings, giving up nine hits, five runs, and two walks while recording two strikeouts.
At the plate, David Rowe led the Trojans with a strong performance, going 2-for-3. McCade Hilton, Nolan Beaver, Brennan Headley, and Kaden Hubbard all contributed with 1-for-3 performances, with Hubbard adding an RBI. Wade Currie went 1-for-4 and recorded an RBI.
Then on a wet and windy Friday night, with tough conditions for both teams, the Bulldogs came out swinging and managed to post five runs in the top of the first inning against a solid Coldspring pitcher.
Offensively, the Trojans spread their production across all seven innings. Heading into the bottom of the seventh, the game was tied 9-9, and extra innings seemed likely. But with the winning run on third, a wild pitch followed by a passed ball allowed Brennan Headley to dash home and secure a dramatic walk-off win for Coldspring.
Coldspring’s starting pitcher, McCade Hilton battled through four innings and struck out seven batters while giving up seven hits and 5 earned runs. He was followed by Kaden Hubbard, who pitched three innings without allowing a hit, gave up only one run, and tallied four strikeouts.
Hubbard was clutch at the plate too, going 3-for-4 with a single and two doubles — one of which nearly cleared the fence for a home run. He finished with 2 RBIs. Nolan Beaver added a 2-for-4 performance, scoring twice and driving in one. Headley, the star of the night, went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple, 2 runs, and 1 RBI.
David Rowe also made his mark, going 2-for-4 with a triple and scoring once. Terry Mills had a solid 2-for-3 night at the plate, also scoring a run. McCade Hilton helped his own cause with a 1-for-3 performance, driving in one and scoring once as well.
“I know we’re in fourth place right now, but there’s still ground to cover,” Riddell said. “I don’t believe we’ll finish there — we’re a much better club than that. We gave up five runs in the first inning and had to scratch and fight our way back. It’s the first time this year we’ve done that, and it shows the grit this team has. I was very proud of the way we stayed in the game.”
