On an evening more suited to football than softball, Hixson’s Lady Wildcats were one inning away from winning their opening game of the season. As it turned out Silverdale Baptist Academy turned an explosive third inning into a 10-6 win.
Both teams were struggling as is oft the case in the early season and the hitting was just a bit ahead of the pitching was just a few games in front of the pitching. Hixson’s Brianna Byerly was throwing well through the first two innings before she ran into problems with the Silverdale line-up. At the end of two innings the score stood 3-1 in favor of the Lady Seahawks.
In the top of the third Seahawk pitcher Kelsey Dishroon led off with a walk and was advanced to second on a Sara Bates bingle. The next four Silverdale batters either reached on a base on balls or were hit by a pitch. Erica Carroll then spanked an RBI single.
This was followed by Regan Robertson’s liner that was caught and turned into a double play.
Amanda Patterson then collected her first of two singles to produce the sixth run of the inning before Dishroon, in her second at-bat of the inning, ended the inning with a grounder to Hixson third-baseman Breanna Elliott for the 5-3 put-out,
The Lady Seahawks added one more run in the top of the fifth to round out their scoring. Hixson added one in the bottom of the third and two each in the fifth and sixth innings. Every starter scored at least once except for Patterson for Silverdale.
For Silverdale five players collected two hits. Robertson, Patterson, Dishroon, Bates and Hillary Mossburg each had two hits. Mossburg was 2 for 2 with an RBI.
The Lady Wildcats were led at the plate by Samantha McCaleb with two hits; Jay Dowdell with two singles and a double and three runs scored; and, Kaliegh Riley with three singles and three RBIs. Each team ended the game with 11 hits apiece.
The win starts Silverdale off at 1-0 overall in the league, while Hixson starts at 0-1.
(You can email Dennis Norwood at sportswriter56@comcast.net)
Lady Wildcat Kaliegh Riley connects for a hit into left field off of Silverdale’s Lauren Hilton.
- Photo2 by Dennis Norwood