Hatchets blast past Shoals
Todd Lancaster, Sports Editor | Tuesday, May 1, 2007 11:34 am
What’s better than back-to-back triples? Back-to-back triples, followed by an inside-the-park home run.
And that is exactly what the Hatchet softball team experienced, during a a 12-0 drubbing of Shoals on Monday at the Sports Complex.
And as coach Alan Lemon likes to say, “They hit the ball with hardness.”
The triples from Kendra Veale and Michelle Hulsey, was followed by the dinger from Kiersten Hinkle in a first inning that saw the Hatchets score 11 runs on 10 hits.
Hinkle and Veale not only delivered the big blows, they actually both had two hits each in the first inning, while Hinkle drove in four runs during her two first-inning at bats.
The big inning started when Jessica Hall walked and quickly moved to third. Audra Myers then drove her in with a fielder’s choice. Veale and Hulsey tripled, followed by Hinkle clearing the bases. Brooke Reed then reached on an error, followed by singles to Whitney Hill, Amber Criswell and Jenny Bunch. Hall then reached again on an error, followed by two more singles from Myers and Veale. Hinkle then added a 2-RBI single, along with Reed final hit of the inning.
“All year long we have had people in scoring position and just didn’t get the big hit. Tonight we did,” said Lemon. “What we did do that I like was that we waited and then swung the bat hard. We were up on the plate and were swinging the bat well.”
The Hatchets did more than just rely on bats. Veale threw a no-hitter and allowed just one runner. She struck out 12, striking out at least two in every inning. Shoals’ only baserunner came when a runner reached in the second inning on a throwing error and only had one ball that was hit to an outfielder.
“She has been pitching pretty good all year,” said Lemon. “We have lost some games that she has pitched good enough to win, like her 1-0 loss down at Pike Central. She has done a fine job for us.
Hall then added a triple of her own in the second, but did not score. WHS went down in order in the third, but got the 12th and final run in the bottom of the fourth, to make it 12-0.
Shoals got three innings from starter Alexa Shaw, who was relieved by Irisa Summerton.
“We are still a work in progress, but it was a nice win to get,” added Lemon.