Paige Evans set the tone in the North Adams win over Whiteoak with a first inning home run.(Photo by Rachel Tolle)

Paige Evans set the tone in the North Adams win over Whiteoak with a first inning home run.(Photo by Rachel Tolle)

By Mark Carpenter

People’s Defender

There’s little doubt that the most improved team in the county in the first week of the season is the North Adams Lady Devils softball squad, under the guidance of first-year head coach Paula Armstrong. After going winless in 2022, the Lady Devils have begun their 2023 campaign with two consecutive win, the latest being a 5-3 Southern Hills Athletic Conference road win over the Whiteoak Lady Wildcats.

The tone in Tuesday’s win at Whiteoak was established in the top of the first inning when North Adams first baseman Paige Evans blasted a two-run homer, scoring Karis Tumbleson ahead of her and giving the Lady Devils a quick 2-0 advantage.

North Adams made it a three-run lead in the top of the second when an Olivia Wright base hit scored Taylor Shelton. In the center circle for the Lady Devils was Carlee Garrison and she was brilliant, fanning 13 Lady Cats and only giving up two runs in the third and one in the fourth.

The Lady Devils got what turned out to be the eventual game-winning runs in their half of the fourth, Morgan Blythe scoring on a base hit by Wright, and a Karis Tumbleson double brought home Garrison with the fifth North Adams run, and what was to be the final run of the day.

Staked with a two-run lead, Garrison went to work over the final three Whiteoak at-bats. She struck out two in the fifth, then recorded 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh to wrap up win number two for the North Adams squad.

The Lady Devils banged out 10 hits in the win, including three from Evans and two from Wright, both players driving in two runs.

“We are off to a good start,” said Coach Armstrong. “Our girls are hitting the ball well and gaining confidence with each plate appearance. As a team, we are focusing on more quality at-bats and competing each time we step up to the plate.”

“This team is special and have embraced the challenge to build this program and we will surprise some teams this year, It’s going to be a fun season.”

Coach Armstrong and her troops The Lady Devils will be looking for their third win in a row on Friday, March 31 when they host the Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs.