By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
The North Adams Lady Devils are under new management in 2023, and head coach Paula Armstrong made her debut a memorable one. On Monday, March 27, Armstrong and the Lady Devils hosted the Western Latham Lady Indians in their season opener and used a big offensive explosion to claim a run rule 18-8 victory.
After the visitors posted a three-spot in the top of the first, the Lady Devils took control, scoring one in the first, six in the second and three in the third to go up 10-3. Western closed the gap with five combined runs in the fourth and fifth frames, but the Lady Devils had an answer, five big runs in the bottom of the fifth and three more in the bottom of the sixth. That gave North Adams the 10-run margin that enforced the OHSAA run rule win by the 18-8 final.
The Lady Devils’ offense produced 14 hits in the win, getting three knocks each from all of the top four hitters in their lineup-Carlee Garrison, Olivia Wright, Karis Tumbleson and Paige Evans, plus a two-hit effort from catcher Chloe Baker. North Adams banged out eight extra-base hits, doubles from Karis Tumbleson, Garrison, Wright, Evans (2) and Baker, plus three-baggers from Tumbleson and Evans.
The opening win already surpasses last year’s total for the Lady Devils, who were 0-16 in 2022, but Armstrong and assistant coaches Morgan Hendrickson and Andy Garrison already have the team pointed in the right direction.
“We as a coaching staff are looking forward to building this program and not looking back,” says Coach Armstrong. “Our team’s commitment to putting in work is going to be a great strength for us and in order to build this team we have to give our best effort every day and I feel like our girls are learning that. We have a strong freshman class that will be key in helping us build over the next four years. We need to learn to win games and we expect to surprise some teams this year.”
The 2023 North Adams softball roster consists of Paige Evans, Liberty Meyer, Morgan Blythe, Olivia Wright, Carlee Garrison, Maddie Tumbleson, Jaida mason, Karis Tumbleson, Taylor Shelton, Anna Armstrong, Teagan Lloyd, Shaye Goon, Chloe Baker, Tori Staggs, Brookelynn Taylor, Luvinnia Rhoads and Madison Marshall.