BATESBURG – While the COVID-19 virus has wreaked health havoc worldwide, Richard Winn’s softball team got in three games before abrupt end to their season came on March 16.
The Eagles traveled to King Academy for a regional re-match on March 13. Freshman Taylee Self led off with a single, and junior shortstop Meredith Pope followed with a walk. Samantha Wilkes pounded out a double to right field to score Self and Pope but was thrown out trying to stretch her hit to a triple. Two more players drew walks in the top of the first inning, but Self, with a stolen base, and Pope were the only two Eagles to cross the plate. King answered back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to take the early 3-2 lead.
Maggie Hughes was hit by a pitch to get on board in the second, stole second, and scored a Pope double. Self got on with a walk, but both she and Pope were left stranded on the bases in the top of the second. The Eagles held the Knights scoreless in the bottom of the inning to go into the third tied 3-3.
The Eagles scored two more runs in the third to take the temporary 5-3 lead. Unfortunately for the visitors, the Knights capitalized on a big third inning to go up 14-5.
Both teams plated two more runs before the game ended in the seventh with the Knights defeating the Eagles 16-7.
Richard Winn collected eight hits from Self, Pope, Wilkes (2B), Riley Simpson, Emma Castles, Hughes and Brooke Pauley. Pope was the only Eagle to get multiple hits (2-3, 2B), and both she and Simpson scored two runs apiece. Simpson also stole four bases. Self took the loss on the mound.
Following the game at King, head coach Roe Coleman commented, “The girls are working really hard and getting better every day. We’re excited about the team’s potential; we just have to eliminate those mistakes that have led to that one big inning each of these first 3 games.”
