Any time your team heads into a game versus Mudbums, you can expect a lot of hit-and-run style softball followed by lots of stolen bases. Thursday evening was a little different. There was not much hitting and not much running.
Thursday evening saw lots of stolen bases, 20 total bases were stolen in the game between Mudbums and Southern Girls, along with 39 walks between the two teams. In the end, Mudbums out-walked Southern Girls, 15-10.
In the top of the first, Halo Armstrong for Mudbums was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Armstrong stole every base and even stole home for the first score of the game. The next four batters for Mudbums reached base on balls. Mudbums held an early 2-0 lead with bases loaded. Ryleigh Rankin was hit by a pitch and earned herself a free trip to first base and it walked across another run for a 3-0 lead. Two more walks, two more runs and Mudbums had reached its five-run limit.
In the bottom of the first, Southern Girls led the inning off with a walk by Ebonie Ross. After the second batter went down on strikes, Southern Girls drew five walks and Kora Forbes was hit by a pitch for a trip down to first base. Mudbums picked up a second out on strikes but walked the following batter and Southern Girls reached its five-run limit. At the end of one, the score was locked at 5-5 with no base hits.
In the top of the second, the walks kept coming. A total of nine in all allowed Mudbums to take a 10-5 lead after they had scored its five-run limit for the second straight inning.
In the bottom half of the second, Southern Girls showed signs of wearing down and not keeping up the pace. Ross started off the inning with a walk and the following two batters went down on strikes for outs one, and two. After a second walk, Mia Starkey hit a blast through the infield for the first single of the game. A walk and a batter hit by a pitch was all that was left in the way of offense for Southern Girls. A strikeout ended the inning and Southern Girls trailed 10-7.
In the top of the third, Mudbums went back to work and by work with more walks.
The first four batters in the top of the third were walked before Emily Stoner connected on a deep shot into the outfield for a double and Mudbums’ first hit of the game. Four more walks followed and Mudbums added five more runs for a 15-7 lead halfway through the third.
In the bottom of the third, Halle Smith led the inning off with, you guessed it, a walk. After a strikeout for the first out, four more walks were served up by Mudbums. A walk sandwiched between two strikeouts ended the inning and the game for Southern Girls.
If you like watching walks, this was the game of the century as Mudbums defeated Southern Girls 15-10.