You just have to give Hixson softball coach Ricky Ritchie a lot of credit for trying different things while trying to help his Lady Wildcats get better on the field.
Hixson finished the Choo Choo Classic at East Hamilton Saturday afternoon with a 2-1 loss to the Boyd Buchanan Lady Buccaneers, but Ritchie wasn’t the least bit concerned with the fact his team didn’t win a single game.
The fact is they found out a little bit about themselves and as the coach said “learned how to trust each other” as he put most of his players in positions they normally don’t play.
Hixson pitchers Lexi Turner and Connie Schalk both allowed just one hit apiece as both pitched three innings, but it was an RBI-double from Alli Johnson that drove in the winning run with two outs in the sixth.
“We made it interesting,” said Boyd Buchanan coach Sarah Warren-Bowles after her team had improved to 14-8 with two wins in three games over the two days.
“I thought that Peyton Schweiter pitched really well, but it’s getting too late in the season for us not to compete. The Hixson pitchers did a great job. I’m just glad that we didn’t roll over.
“I was really proud of Alli Johnson as she had struggled at the plate with a strikeout and a pop to short, but kudos to her as it just takes one big hit to win a game,” the coach smiled.
Hixson’s Ritchie would have loved to win at least one game, but that just wasn’t the main concern for his team as they faced a lot of really good teams in the two-day event.
“I thought we played well. We just came here to get better, but I did something totally different as I put everyone in a position they had never played before. We learned how to trust each other. Our focus wasn’t on outcomes, but just getting better and I feel like we did just that,” he nodded.
Hixson left two runners stranded in each of the first two innings before scoring a single run in the third. Brantley Bruggink singled with one out and advanced to third when her hit was misplayed. Lexi Turner’s grounder to third allowed Bruggink to score.
The Lady Bucs tied the score with a run in the fourth. Keyana Jordan had a leadoff walk and courtesy runner Kendall Griffith scored the tying run on a Hixson throwing error.
Schalk got two quick outs in the sixth before Jayde Simms walked on a 3-2 count. Johnson then ripped a 2-1 pitch into right-center to drive in Simms with the winning run.
Sydney Baker’s one-out single in the second was Boyd’s only other hit. Bruggink had two of Hixson’s five hits.
Schweiter was the winning pitcher for the Lady Bucs after allowing the one run on five hits. She also had one walk and seven strikeouts. Schalk was the loser after allowing both runs on just one hit. She also had three walks and one strikeout.
BOYD BUCHANAN 000 101 – 2 2 2
HIXSON 001 000 – 1 5 1
Schweiter and Jordan; L. Turner, Schalk (4) and C. Turner, Pickett (4).
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)