By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
You couldn’t ask for a much better start to season than Coach Matthias Applegate and his Manchester Lady Greyhounds softball squad have had. Outscoring their opponents 65-10, the Lady Hounds won their first five games of the season, excelling at the plate and in the center circle.
On Thursday, March 30, the Lady Hounds traveled to Eastern Brown to battle the Lady Warriors in Southern Hills Athletic Conference action and it turned out to be their closest contest of the young season. To win this one, the Lady Hounds played long ball, going yard three times, one by pitcher Rylie Young and a pair from power-hitting first baseman and lefty swinging Kameyl Carter.
Manchester struck for four runs in the top half of the third to break a scoreless tie, getting an RBI single from Emilee Applegate that preceded a two-run blast from Carter. In the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Warriors got a four-spot of their own to tie the game but that was short-lived as the Lady Hounds answered with five runs in the top of the fifth.The first run came on another run-scoring base hit by Applegate followed by a three-run homer to left by Carter. The Lady Hounds went up 9-4 later int he frame when a base hit by Chloe Freeman brought Maggie Roberts home.
Manchester added one more to their lead in the top of the sixth on a solo homer to center by Young, but the Lady Warriors didn’t back down, responding with two in the bottom of the sixth to close her gap to 10-6 but Young, who pitched a complete game for the win, closed the door in the seventh to nail down the Lady Hounds’ fourth win of the spring.
On Monday, the Lady Hounds were on the road again in conference play, facing the Whiteoak Lady Wildcats. The result was their second shutout of the season, a run-rule six inning 12-0 shutout, with Applegate firing a complete game two-hitter with 10 strikeouts.
The potent Manchester offense pounded out 11 hits in the Monday win, with senior catcher Maggie Roberts going 2 for 4 and driving in three runs.
That left the Lady Hounds at 5-0 at press time and they traveled to New Boston on Tuesday in non-conference action, with no score available by press time. Coach Applegate and his troops will be back at home on Thursday, again in non-conference play, hosting the Green Lady Bobcats and then will be at Ripley on Saturday for a 10 a.m. doubleheader.
Manchester
004 051 0 —10
Eastern Brown
00 401 0 —6
Manchester Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): Campbell 4-2-2-0, Young 4-2-2-2, E. Applegate 3-2-2-2, Carter 4-2-3-5, Roberts 4-1-0-0, Rideout 4-0-1-0, Neria 3-0-0-0, J. Applegate 0-0-0-0, Freeman 4-0-1-1, Dunn 3-1-0-0, Team 33-10-11-10.
Extra-Base Hits: Campbell 2B (2), Young HR, Carter HR (2)
E. Brown Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): Perkins 4-0-1-0, Arrey 1-0-0-0, Prewitt 3-0-0-0, Dunseith 1-0-0-0, Schumacher 4-1-1-0, Grooms 3-0-0-0, Edmisten 2-2-0-0, Kattwinkel 4-1-1-2, Snider 0-2-0-0, Clark 2-0-1-2, Shlton 2-0-1-1, Team 26-6-5-5.
Manchester Pitching:
Young (W) 7 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 12 K
E. Brown Pitching:
Prewitt (L) 5.1 IP, 10 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Grooms 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Arey 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R