Manchester’s Kameyl Carter hit three homers in the Lady Hounds’ wins over North Adams and New Boston. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
Manchester girls outscore opponents 65-3
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
The bats have been booming lately for Coach Matthias Applegate and his Manchester Lady Greyhounds varsity softball team. In three games last week, the Lady Hounds outscored their opponents 65-3 in a trio of run-rule victories, one over North Adams and a doubleheader sweep over New Boston. In the three wins, the Lady Hounds pounded out 54 hits, 23 of them for extra bases, including three home runs by Kameyl Carter.
On April 14, the Lady Hounds traveled to North Adams for a Southern Hills Athletic Conference match up with the winless Lady Devils and the result turned out to be rather one-sided, Manchester rolling to a 23-1 victory.
The outcome was decided early as the Lady Hounds cored 17 runs in their first two at-bats and eventually scored in all five at-bats on their way to the win. Manchester banged out 23 hits off of North Adams pitchers Teagan Lloyd and Kaylee Tumbleson, getting three-hit efforts from Hannah Hobbs (4 runs scored), Emilee Applegate, Rylie Young and Jaylise Applegate. Emilee Applegate drove home four runs and was also the winning pitcher, pitching the first two frames. First baseman Kameyl Carter blasted a pair of home runs, one over the fence and one of the inside-the-park variety.
On Saturday, April 16 the Lady Hounds were on the road again, this time for a doubleheader with the New Boston Lady Tigers. The results were much the same as the Manchester squad dominated both contests from start to finish, sweeping the twinbill, 20-0 and 22-2.
In game one, the Lady Hounds produced an 18-hit attack, Hannah Hobbs leading the way with a 5 for 5 game, adding 4 RBI’s. Manchester also got multiple hit games from Jenna Campbell, Emilee Applegate and Rylie Young and tallied 8 runs in their first two at-bats and 12 more in their final two at-bats to cruise to the run-rule win in five. Young was the winning pitcher, going all five innings, allowing just one hit and striking out 9 Lady Tigers.
Game two was much of the same as the Lady Hounds exploded for 10 runs in the top of the first and 11 more in the top of the second. Coach Applegate substituted freely the entire game and his team completed the sweep with the 22-2 triumph.
Again, the bats were the story- 23 hits, 7 for extra bases including another Carter homer. Hobbs finished up a pretty good day at the plate by going 3 for 4, scoring 3, and driving in 3. Carter was a perfect 4 for 4 at the dish, driving home 5, while Jaylise Applegate was also perfect, going 3 for 3, scoring 3 and bringing home 3.
Emilee Applegate performed double duty, going 3 for 4 at the plate with 4 driven in, and getting the win in the center circle with a complete game 4-hit effort.
The trio of victories improved the Lady Hounds to 7-3 on the season and made it five wins in a row at press time. Weather conquered a Monday bout with Peebles but on Tuesday, April 19 the Manchester girls traveled to Whiteoak in conference action. On Thursday, the Lady Hounds were set to host Fairfield in another important SHAC battle.
