GOOD HOPE, Ala. – The Good Hope Lady Raiders were back home Thursday night to host Cordova and they couldn’t contain the hot bats of the Lady Blue Devils. After a couple scoreless innings, Cordova plated four runs in the third and fourth innings before pulling away in the fifth to defeat the Lady Raiders 15-2.
Addyson Burgess started the game for Good Hope. Cordova reached on a one-out error and a walk as they looked to strike first in their opening at-bats. But Natalie Miller snatched those hopes away really quickly as she made an amazing diving play on a line drive, and she threw over to first to double off the runner to help Burgess get out of the inning unscathed. Lexi Steed led off the Good Hope first with a walk, then Campbell Koch’s sacrifice bunt moved Steed over to second. Haley Lay drew a walk as well, but a pop out and a strikeout ended the Lady Raider half of the first.
The score would remain 0-0 going into the third inning, but that would quickly change. Burgess got the first two outs of the third inning and looked to keep Cordova out of the hit and run column. The next batter got hit by the pitch, then a dropped fly ball in left field put the Lady Blue Devils quickly in business. A two-run double, followed by a two-run home run, gave Cordova a 4-0 lead. Maryanna Norris and Steed each reached on back-to-back errors to lead off the third for the Lady Raiders. Another Koch sacrifice bunt moved both runners up 90 feet, then Lay got hit by the pitch to load the bases. Bailey Keef lined out to second base and the second baseman threw over to first to double off Lay to keep it at a 4-0 score.
The Lady Blue Devils added to their lead in the fourth. They loaded the bases with nobody out, then an error, a walk, an RBI fielder’s choice, and an RBI single helped push Cordova’s lead to 8-0. The Lady Raiders looked to finally get on the scoreboard in their half. Burgess and Carley Adams each got hit by the pitch to lead off the inning, then Miller reached on an infield single to load the bases. Molly Johnson drew a walk to bring home Burgess, then an RBI fielder’s choice by Norris made it 8-2.
Cordova quickly blew the game wide open in the fifth inning as they ended up scoring seven runs in the inning. An RBI double and a two-run home run were two of the biggest blows in the inning. Good Hope looked to get a furious rally started as Lay reached on a one-out error, but it didn’t happen as the Lady Raiders ended up dropping their game to Cordova, 15-2.
Johnson and Norris drove in the only runs for Good Hope (5-5), while Adams and McKenna Lynn each scored a run for the Lady Raiders. Good Hope will take on Cold Springs in a tournament game at West Point on April 4th at 4 p.m.
West Point 1 – Russellville 0 (Softball)
West Point traveled to take on Russellville in an enormous area game. In what ended up being a pitcher’s duel between both teams, the Lady Warriors were able to get their lone run in the fourth inning and Carlie Wilkins struck out 11 batters in a 1-0 win over the Lady Golden Tigers.
West Point got their first and only run in the fourth inning. Carlie Wilkins and Bethany Minck hit back-to-back doubles to put runners on second and third with no outs. Braelee Quinn then got hit by the pitch to load the bases and Sidney Burks hit an RBI single to left field to give the Lady Warriors a 1-0 lead. That was all of the run support that Wilkins would need as she took a one-hitter into the seventh inning and Russellville made her work a little bit. A one-out double, followed by a groundout, had the Lady Golden Tigers 90 feet away from home plate. Wilkins made sure that she kept that runner at third base as she struck out the next batter to end the game and West Point picked up a huge 1-0 win on the road. Their winning streak is now at five games.
Burks (one RBI), Wilkins, and Bethany Minck each finished with a hit in the game for West Point (14-3). Wilkins allowed just two hits, walked one, and struck out 11 batters as she threw just 85 pitches in the contest. The Lady Warriors will travel to take on Hanceville Friday.
West Point 3 – Arab 1 (Baseball)
West Point traveled to take on Arab on Thursday as the Warriors looked to get some revenge on the Knights after losing to them Monday. Like the Lady Warriors’ game against Russellville, it was a pitcher’s duel as there were a combined five hits between both teams. The Warriors, though, got more than enough run support for starter Eli Folds, who gave up just two hits, one earned run, and struck out 11 in West Point’s 3-1 win over Arab.
West Point got their only runs of the game in the third inning. Colton McCoy hit a leadoff single to center field, then Brody Freeman and Bryson Phillips each drew a walk to load the bases. One out later, Folds lined a two-run single to right field to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead, then Isaac Hoffpauir hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. Arab cracked the scoring column in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI groundout, but that was all that Folds would allow as he held the Knights to just two singles and the Warriors ended up picking up the win on the road, 3-1.
Folds finished with a hit and two RBIs for West Point (8-8). Hoffpauir added an RBI as well and McCoy finished with a pair of hits in the contest as well.
The Warriors will travel to take on Hanceville Friday.
Curry 8 – Good Hope 3 (Baseball)
Good Hope hosted Curry on Thursday and the Yellow Jackets got off to an early lead in their opening at-bats. Back-to-back singles and a two-run double gave them an early 2-0 lead. The Raiders got on the scoreboard in their half as Paydon Bagwell drew a leadoff walk and Colten Whatley reached on a bunt single. A Braxton Marshall sacrifice fly cut the deficit to one at 2-1.
Curry added to their lead in the second inning. A two-run double and an RBI double pushed their lead to 5-1; a pair of RBI singles in the fifth inning made it 7-1. The Yellow Jackets continued to widen their lead as an RBI groundout increased their lead to 8-1. Good Hope looked to get something late, and they did as a Marshall leadoff single later led to an RBI groundout by Caden Drake to make it 8-2 after six. The Raiders looked to continue to chip away at the deficit in their final at-bats. They got something going with two outs as three straight walks loaded the bases and then Jed Clements got hit by the pitch to force home a run to cut it to 8-3. Good Hope wouldn’t get any closer after that, though, as they ended up falling to Curry, 8-3.
Marshall finished with a hit and an RBI for Good Hope. Clements and Drake each added an RBI as well, while Whatley and Michael Barrett each chipped in with a hit of their own.
The Raiders will host Cleveland Saturday.
Copyright 2022 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
