Lady Lions run-rule Lynchburg-Clay
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEESBURG — The Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs are improving on the go this 2013 season, but the day belonged to the Fairfield Lady Lions as they jumped to .500 on the season, with a 12-2, five-inning win Tuesday at FHS.
The meeting between the two Southern Hills League cross-county rivals began with the Lady Mustangs leading by a 2-1 score at the conclusion of the first inning.
From the bottom of the first until the final out, FHS (2-2) outscored LC, 12-0.
As for the first inning of LC (0-3), they scored runs with Mykenzie Reynolds and Madysyn Creighton rounding the bases. Reynolds reached the bases with a one-out base hit, followed by a double by Creighton, scoring Reynolds. Creighton scored on a hit by Bailey Leininger.
"We are getting better," LC head coach Howard Creighton said. "I've explained to the girls, this is like a puzzle, and we are putting the pieces together.
"This is only our third time on the field, and Fairfield is a tough team. They will hurt you quick, and we just have to keep working on different things and keep improving."
From the second through fifth innings LC was held to three hits and two walks.
Brittany Allen led LC with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Also with a hit was Megan Pointer at 1-for-1 with a walk. Creighton was 1-for-2 with a walk and RBI, while Leininger was 1-for-3 with one RBI.
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As for the victors (who snapped a two-game skid), the Lady Lions (2-2) not only answered with one run in the first by Kaitlin Evans (2-for-3, one run, one walk, two RBIs), but added two in the second, two in the third, then broke out for six runs in the fourth. FHS scored one final run in the fifth for the run-rule win.
In the second, Cynnamon Sova-Davy and Sirenity Smith (2-for-3, two runs, one walk) scored for the Lady Lions, with Sova-Davy and Smith both scoring on a base hit by Evans.
"We played a lot better (Tuesday)," Fairfield head coach Matthew Zimmerman said. "We finally got the bat on the ball and scored runs. We have to use small ball, but we aren't where we need to be yet.
"Our defense was better, and I loved the enthusiasm we had the entire game."
That was followed with a third inning that saw Halie Chain and Heather Sanderson rounding the bases, putting FHS ahead, 5-2. Sanderson scored on a base hit by Chain, and Sanderson scored on a fielding error.
Then came the fourth with Grace Larrick, Shelby Smithson, Chain, Justice Hattan, Smith and Courtney Huff all scoring runs for a nine-run lead. Sanderson gained an RBI as she forced a bases-loaded walk to bring home Larrick. Sova-Davy grounded out to short, scoring Hattan. Larrick, in her second at-bat of the inning, forced a bases-loaded walk to score Smith. The other runners all scored on a fielding error.
The final run in the fifth was scored by Sanderson, who jogged home on a single by Smith.
The loss went to Kaitlyn Umphries of LC, while the win was credited to Arica Melson. Melson (2-1) pitched all five innings, allowing two runs (none earned) on five hits and two walks. The sophomore had nine strikeouts.
Umphries and reliever Kristen Banks each had one strikeout.
The meeting between the two Southern Hills League cross-county rivals began with the Lady Mustangs leading by a 2-1 score at the conclusion of the first inning.
From the bottom of the first until the final out, FHS (2-2) outscored LC, 12-0.
As for the first inning of LC (0-3), they scored runs with Mykenzie Reynolds and Madysyn Creighton rounding the bases. Reynolds reached the bases with a one-out base hit, followed by a double by Creighton, scoring Reynolds. Creighton scored on a hit by Bailey Leininger.
"We are getting better," LC head coach Howard Creighton said. "I've explained to the girls, this is like a puzzle, and we are putting the pieces together.
"This is only our third time on the field, and Fairfield is a tough team. They will hurt you quick, and we just have to keep working on different things and keep improving."
From the second through fifth innings LC was held to three hits and two walks.
Brittany Allen led LC with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Also with a hit was Megan Pointer at 1-for-1 with a walk. Creighton was 1-for-2 with a walk and RBI, while Leininger was 1-for-3 with one RBI.
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As for the victors (who snapped a two-game skid), the Lady Lions (2-2) not only answered with one run in the first by Kaitlin Evans (2-for-3, one run, one walk, two RBIs), but added two in the second, two in the third, then broke out for six runs in the fourth. FHS scored one final run in the fifth for the run-rule win.
In the second, Cynnamon Sova-Davy and Sirenity Smith (2-for-3, two runs, one walk) scored for the Lady Lions, with Sova-Davy and Smith both scoring on a base hit by Evans.
"We played a lot better (Tuesday)," Fairfield head coach Matthew Zimmerman said. "We finally got the bat on the ball and scored runs. We have to use small ball, but we aren't where we need to be yet.
"Our defense was better, and I loved the enthusiasm we had the entire game."
That was followed with a third inning that saw Halie Chain and Heather Sanderson rounding the bases, putting FHS ahead, 5-2. Sanderson scored on a base hit by Chain, and Sanderson scored on a fielding error.
Then came the fourth with Grace Larrick, Shelby Smithson, Chain, Justice Hattan, Smith and Courtney Huff all scoring runs for a nine-run lead. Sanderson gained an RBI as she forced a bases-loaded walk to bring home Larrick. Sova-Davy grounded out to short, scoring Hattan. Larrick, in her second at-bat of the inning, forced a bases-loaded walk to score Smith. The other runners all scored on a fielding error.
The final run in the fifth was scored by Sanderson, who jogged home on a single by Smith.
The loss went to Kaitlyn Umphries of LC, while the win was credited to Arica Melson. Melson (2-1) pitched all five innings, allowing two runs (none earned) on five hits and two walks. The sophomore had nine strikeouts.
Umphries and reliever Kristen Banks each had one strikeout.