[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
“I was very surprised of our play,” said Ledford head coach Charlie Brown. “We came out and really hit the ball well. I was a little concerned because I gave them a little layoff over the holiday, but maybe that helped.”
Freshman pitcher Kristen Murphy was golden on the mound except for a little trouble in the first inning.
She started off in unusual fashion, unloading a wild first pitch that slipped out of her hand and softly landed up the first base line.
“That is that old lob pitch,” joked Brown afterwards.
That set up a walk to Clare Everhart, and a bunt single to Kristin Elmore, who each moved up a base on steals. But the freshman was tough as nails the next three batters, striking out two of them and getting the last to line out to Olivia Klutz at first.
“They got started after that [wild pitch], but she settled down and got the next three,” said Brown.
Ledford got some run support for their youngster in the bottom of the first, hitting the ball the best they have all season.
Emily Byrd’s bunt single started a 3-run rally that give the Panthers (7-3, 3-1) complete control. Nicole Hughes laid down a bunt to sacrifice her over, and reached base safely when Elmore threw the ball past first down the right field line. Byrd came all the way around to third and Hughes found herself at second. Emily Darr drove in a run smashing a double to left, and courtesy runner Courtney Pope raced home on a Green Dragon error.
Ledford tacked on six more runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings to build a 9-0 cushion, and Murphy was on cruise control setting West down in order in the second-fifth innings.
“Murphy pitched very well and kept them off,” said Brown. “They couldn’t seem to get on it.”
Klutz came in to pitch a perfect sixth, and Ledford put an early finish to the night in the bottom half.
Byrd singled to right and scampered around to third on a two-base error by right-fielder Ariel Giles. Pope pinch-hit for Hughes and promptly ripped a double to right that ended the game.
Byrd was 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI and three runs scored. Olivia Poplin was also 2-for-2 and Jessica Morgan was 2-for-3 with an RBI.