CEDAR BLUFF – Sand Rock softball coach Josh Bates has been tinkering a bit with his lineup of late. To use his words, he’s “just trying to find what works.”
He may have found something that works on Monday at Cedar Bluff.
His one through four hitters had multiple hits in the game, including early on, in an 11-3 victory.
“Something we’ve been missing this year is being able to score early and add to it, put some hits together early, but I was proud to see that out of them today,” Bates said. “We did a good job of that today.”
The Lady Wildcats (13-11-1) scored a pair of runs in the top of the first, then added three more to take a 5-1 lead.
Third baseman Maggie Tinsley tallied four hits, including a two-run double to left in the first. She added a solo home run to left in the fourth and a run-scoring single in the fifth. She finished with five RBIs on the day.
“Maggie had a great weekend seeing the ball (at Choccolocco Park in Oxford). She’s really picked it up in the box,” Bates said. “She’s doing a good job of putting it in play. If you keep putting it in play, good things will happen.”
Another one of the Lady Wildcats to have a big day at the plate was right fielder/pitcher EllaGrace Hood. Hood had a pair of hits for the day, including a two-run blast to left in the seventh. She also walked and was hit by a pitch.
Starting pitcher Jadyn Foster picked up three hits, including a double. She also walked and scored four runs. Leadoff batter Katelyn St. Clair contributed a pair of hits and scored a pair of runs.
“Today it clicked,” Bates said. “Those four did a good job of putting it in play. We kept pushing to get runs.”
“They’re a very good ball club. They’re not going to miss opportunities,” Cedar Bluff coach Garrett Crane said. “When runners are in scoring position or there’s an error, they’re going to get the extra bases. They’re going to do the little things. Giving them an advantage early, they’re tougher than anybody.”
Foster picked up the win in the circle. She tossed three innings, scattering five hits and three strikeouts while giving up no earned runs. Hood finished things off in the final four innings. She surrendered just two unearned runs on three hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.
Reece Patterson suffered the loss for Cedar Bluff (5-12-1). She worked 4 1/3 innings, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Jordyn Walker relieved her with one out in the fifth.
Mary Sausville and Haley Allen led the Lady Tigers at the plate. Both went 2-for-3 with a double apiece. Walker tripled and scored Cedar Bluff’s first run in the bottom of the first.
