Payne’s perfect day at the plate lifts Cedar Bluff softball past Hokes Bluff

Cedar Bluff shortstop Mattie Payne times her swing on a pitch against Hokes Bluff on Monday. Photo by Shannon Fagan.

CEDAR BLUFF – The Cedar Bluff Lady Tigers finally got to play their first home softball game of the season on Monday against visiting Hokes Bluff. Shortstop Mattie Payne and pitcher Jordyn Walker gave the home crowd plenty to cheer for.

Payne posted a 4-for-4 performance at the plate, including a grand slam to center field in the bottom of the fourth inning and a three-run shot to left in the sixth. She also belted a pair of doubles to left field.

While Payne provided much of the offense, Walker prevented the Lady Eagles from getting into much of a rhythm at the plate. She scattered an earned run on five hits with no walks and 11 strikeouts in the Lady Tigers’ 13-3 victory in six innings.

“We opened our season this year with them (a 16-5 win), and we came into this game knowing we had both improved,” Payne said. “We knew we had to battle for it. We’ve been staying longer at practice, getting extra reps, and it all worked out.”

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Payne’s grand slam was it was against Lady Eagle relief pitcher Peyton Ward, who had just been inserted in relief of starter Chloe Carter. The Lady Tiger hitters were getting used to Carter’s slower pace and Ward, Payne said, had “faster velocity.” Payne quickly made the adjustment and smacked it out of the park.

“The change of speed helped a lot,” Payne said. “It was a fastball outside.”

Two innings later, Payne popped her second homer of the game against Ward.

“I got up to the plate with a good mindset. I was like ‘I’m going to put this ball in play,’” Payne said. “We all had good energy in the dugout the whole time. It just transferred over into the field and the batter’s box.”

“She’s putting in the extra time and it shows,” Cedar Bluff coach Garrett Crane said of Payne. “I’m proud of all of our girls, but her hard work really is paying off.

“Early on, we had a little trouble staying back on some of the pitching, but after the first time through (the lineup), we made the adjustment. We paired together several hits. We did a good job of adding (runs). We had the timely hit also. That was big.”

But before those timely hits came, Hokes Bluff jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Halle Davenport doubled in a run and Abigail Payne followed with a RBI-single. Both hits came with two outs. Kayla Traylor struck out looking to end the threat.

Abigail Payne led the Lady Eagles at the plate by going 2-for-3. She also had a solo home run to left center in the top of the sixth.

The Lady Tigers tied the game in the bottom half of the third inning. Following a bunt single by Harlie Nelson and a double by Mattie Payne, Reece Patterson brought them home on a two-run single to center.

Cedar Bluff scored four more runs in the fourth on Mattie Payne’s grand slam. The Lady Tigers added another run in the fifth on a double to right center by Emma Haney, then ended the game with a six-run sixth, including Mattie Payne’s three-run blast.

“We finally got a game at home in front of our people,” Crane said. “This is a fun place, a fun atmosphere. I’m always glad to be in front of our people, especially playing well in front of our people.”

Cedar Bluff’s Jordyn Walker tosses a pitch to a Hokes Bluff hitter Monday afternoon. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
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