Sand Rock struggles to come up with the big hits in season-ending softball losses

Sand Rock’s Katelyn St. Clair races to third base on a ground ball during the Lady Wildcats’ season-ending loss to Mars Hill Bible on Wednesday in the Class 2A state tournament at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park. Photo by Shannon Fagan.

OXFORD – Sand Rock softball coach Josh Bates knew it was going to be a tough road at the state tournament in Oxford for his Lady Wildcats. He knew if they were to have a shot at winning on Wednesday, they would have to string together a few timely hits.

Those hits proved to be hard to come by.

Number 10 Sand Rock managed just three hits against third-ranked G.W. Long in a 5-1 loss, and finished with four in their season-ending setback against fourth-ranked Mars Hill.

“I knew we had to hit the ball well to compete,” said Bates, whose team compiled a 34-22-1 record this season. “I knew our defense and our pitching was going to be good enough to keep us in the ball game. We just had to have our sticks.

“I thought we played well all day, and I think our girls gave me everything they had, but we didn’t string some hits together when we got people in scoring position.”

As Bates said, the Lady Wildcats’ pitching and defense kept them within striking distance in both games.

In the opener against G.W. Long, Sand Rock starting pitcher EllaGrace Hood surrendered a run in the bottom of the first inning, but proceeded to hold the Lady Rebels scoreless for the next three innings.

However, G.W. Long pitcher Morgan Ferguson was equally effective. She held Sand Rock scoreless through five innings, but the Lady Wildcats finally broke through in the top of the sixth on a RBI-hit by Katelyn St. Clair that scored Sherina Foster.

The Lady Rebels countered with a pair of runs in the bottom half for the final

Ferguson earned the win in the circle. She finished with no walks and 14 strikeouts.

Hood suffered the loss after working 4 1/3 innings. She scattered three earned runs on six hits with three walks and a strikeout. Jadyn Foster pitched 1 2/3 innings and gave up two earned runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout.

Maggie Tinsley and Sherina Foster had the other two Lady Wildcat hits.

In the losers bracket against Mars Hill, Sand Rock found some early momentum by scoring a run in the top of the first inning. The Lady Panthers tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, but Sand Rock went back out in front 2-1 after pushing another run across in the top of the second.

The Lady Panthers tied things up at 2 with a run in the bottom of the third. Emma Kate Wright doubled to left center. She advanced to third on a bunt, then scored on a single by Emma Pettus on a bang-bang play at the plate.

The home plate umpire originally ruled Wright out on the tag by Sand Rock catcher Lindsey Chambers, but Mars Hill third base coach Mike Mitchell asked for an appeal. The three umpires had a conference and ruled her safe.

Bates argued the reversal of the call by the home plate umpire, but to no avail.

“We had a play at the plate that I’m not real sure about, but we live with that call and we’ve got to keep putting the ball in play,” Bates said.

The Lady Wildcats never seemed to recover after the call. An inning later, Mars Hill took the lead for good. The Lady Panthers put together three runs to go up 5-2, then added an insurance run in the sixth for the final.

Jadyn Foster led the Lady Wildcats at the plate by going 2-for-4 with a RBI. St. Clair doubled and scored a run. Hood finished with a hit and a walk.

Jadyn Foster suffered the loss after working 3 2/3 innings. She gave up four earned runs on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Hood tossed 2 1/3 innings and gave up an earned run on a pair of hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Riley Vaughn earned the win for Mars Hill. She went the distance, giving up one earned run on four hits with a walk and 16 strikeouts.
Wright led the Lady Panthers at the plate with three doubles, two runs and a RBI.

“I’m proud of our kids and proud of the way we played and proud of the season we’ve had,” Bates said. “I told our girls to be proud of what we’ve accomplished, being in the Elite 8. You can’t win it if you’re not here.

“We had the defending (2019) 2A state champion (G.W. Long) and (2019) defending 1A state champion (Mars Hill) back-to-back. That’s tough. They’re quality teams. Everybody here is a quality team.”

Sand Rock loses four seniors in Chambers, Maggie Tinsley, Sammi Parker and Maggie Hester, but returns a core nucleus of players for next season.

“It’s hard to put into words what these four seniors mean,” Bates said. “They’ve been to three straight state tournaments, been in the Final Four and the Elite 8 twice. They’ve won a lot of ball games. They made a lot of things happen for our program.

“We’re truly going to miss Maggie (Tinsley) at third, Lindsey behind the plate and Sammi at first, who came in this year and did a great job on that side of the field. Losing Maggie Hester in the regionals like we did (to a collarbone injury), she was an anchor out there in the outfield. We’re going to miss those four girls and what they bring to our program and everything they contribute.

“We’ve got a good core coming back. Hopefully we can get some to play with them and be ready to compete next year. I feel like our kids expect to be here, they expect to have that chance. As long as we keep that mentality, and we stay hungry and we get after it, we’ll be fine.”

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