Southern Girls wasted little time setting the tone in its Thursday night matchup versus Holton Industries. You could see the offensive surge in each of the three innings played. Holton Industries picked up players from the coach pitch league and did what they could to try to stop the offensive assault but had little to no effect.
Southern Girls ran up a total of 17 runs over the course of three innings and defeated Holton Industries 17-3.
Mia Starkey started off the top of the first with a walk and she advanced all the way around the diamond for a 1-0 lead. Kora Forbes was up next and she singled through the infield and she also stole her way to third base. Zoie Conner reached base on balls for the second runner on base. Andrea Jefferson and Dallas Melton picked up a pair of walks to score a run and load the bases. Ebonie Ross stepped to the plate with bases full. She crushed a shot to the gap for triple and Southern Girls led 5-0.
On the other hand, Holton Industries went three up, three down in a less-than-stellar bottom of the first.
That gave Southern Girls opportunity to get right back in the batter’s box. Kara Deboard and Halle Smith each drew walks to lead off the top of the second. Jordan Veach was hit by a pitch and the bases were full once again. Keera Anderson reached first base on balls and Deboard and Smith scored and made it a 7-0 game. Starkey and Forbes took an easy base after back-to-back walks and scored two more runs. Southern Girls led 9-0. Conner jumped on a pitch over the plate and she drove in Starkey and Forbes before she was thrown out at home to end the inning with Southern Girls ahead 11-0.
Holton Industries was up in the bottom of the second. Samantha McCormick started with a walk. She was given the green light and stole her way all the way around to third base. Maggie Whiles walked and quickly moved down to second base. Emma Muncey put the ball in play but was collected for out one and McCormick crossed the plate to make it an 11-1 game.
Southern Girls led off the top of the third with a pair of batters hit by pitches. With two on and no outs, Ross smashed a shot to the gap that rolled almost to the fence and she cleared the bases for a triple and Jefferson and Melton scored to make it a 13-1 lead. Three consecutive walks brought in another run for a 14-1 lead just before a monster hit that went for a triple by Anderson cleared the bases again in the same inning and Southern Girls extended the already large lead to 17-1 to end the inning.
Holton Industries was down to its final at-bat and got the bottom of the third inning going with a strikeout for the first out of the inning. Back-to-back walks allowed Jaycie Hodges and Bre’anna Harris to take first and second base. McCormick and Whiles were hit by pitches and runs crossed the plate again for Holton Industries. A ground ball for the second out by Muncey allowed Harris to score just before McCormick was tagged out at home to end the inning and the game.