The WCHS Lady Pioneers took their first district win of the season Thursday night, going on the road for a shutout against Franklin County, 8-0.

Senior superstar Aleya Esparza was 3 for 4 from the plate with 2 RBIs to help generate energy for the Lady Pioneer offense.

Shelby Roberts was 2 for 3 from the plate and scored 2 runs for the Lady Pioneers. Her speed allowed her to advance around the bases with ease and she scored one of her runs on a wild pitch. 

Franklin County hit plenty to the right side allowing second baseman Esparza and right fielder Dallis Melton to make numerous outs, including three impressive catches from Melton who came ready to play in the outfield.

Both teams were strong in the circle with Franklin County pitcher Alyssa Sherrill striking out 14 WC hitters. Neither Sherrill nor Madison Hollis walked any runners, and Hollis committed zero errors, making it an impressive night for both pitchers.

Up 3-0 going into the seventh, the Lady Pioneers exploded with hits to rack up 5 runs to secure their victory. Kora Forbes hit a single to bring 2 runners home, and Marli McBride followed that with a double to hit 2 more home. 

Esparza followed McBride in the lineup with a triple, hitting a fly ball to right field and bringing McBride home for the final run of the night.

The Lady Pioneers won 8-0 in a shutout making them 1-0 in the district, 5-3 overall. WC will play Coffee County at home on Tuesday starting at 7 p.m. with JV starting at 5:30 p.m.