By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
The beat rolled on last week for Coach Matthias Applegate and his Manchester Lady Greyhounds varsity softballs quad as they picked up four more win to improve their season mark to 20-1 at press time. The Lady Hounds picked up Southern Hills Athletic Conference wins over county rivals Peebles and North Adams, then swept a Saturday doubleheader from the Sciotoville East Lady Tartans to reach the 20-win mark for the spring.
In past season,the Peebles games have been a thorn in the side for the Lady Hounds but not this spring as the Manchester girls swept the season series from the Lady Indians, the latest triumph being a 12-4 win on May 2.
In that may 2 victory on their home field, the Lady Indians used their normal method for victory this spring, home runs and extra-base hits. The winners got long balls from record-holding Kameyl carter as well as right fielder Harley Rideout and two-base hits from Chloe Freeman, Rylie Young, Maggie Roberts and Jenna Campbell, all part of a 12-hit attack. Young also threw a complete game to get the win in the center circle. The Peebles offense only produced five hits in the loss, one of those a two-bagger from second baseman Aleah Purcell.
The next afternoon the Lady Hounds were again on their home field, this time to face the improved North Adams Lady Devils in conference action. The Manchester offense banged out 11 hits in a 12-2 six-inning run rule win, six of those for extra bases, including homers from Jenna Campbell and senior Maggie Roberts, her first high school dinger. The Lady Hounds walked this one off, scoring four times in the bottom of the sixth inning, the clinching runs coming home on a Rideout base hit.
Emilee Applegate went the distance in the center circle for the win, scattering seven hits along the way, two of those by North Adams’ Karis Tumbleson.
After a couple of days of rest, the Lady Hounds were once again on their home diamond on Saturday, May 6, hosting Sciotoville East in a non-conference doubleheader and the Lady Tartans proved no match as the home team pounded out a pair of run-rule win, 14-2 and 16-3.
In game one, the Lady Hounds took control early, scoring three in the first, two in the second, then exploding for eight runs in the bottom half of the third to pretty much seal the deal. In just four at-bats, the Manchester offense collected 14 hits, including three hit days from Kameyl Carter (two doubles included) and Maggie Roberts. Rylie Young was the winning pitcher, fanning 10 Lady Tartans in her five innings of work.
Game two was much of the same as this time the Lady Hounds put up a huge nine-spot in the bottom of the second to take a 12-3 advantage and cruised home from there. Again in just four at-bats, the Manchester squad pounded out 13 hits, including round-trippers from Rylie Young and Jenna Campbell, along with a pair of doubles off the bat of Kameyl Carter. Emilee Applegate got the win, striking out seven in her five innings in the center circle.
The Lady Hounds head into their final regular season contest and then the Division IV sectional tournament with some impressive offensive statistics, a team batting average of .399 with 87 extra-base hits, including 20 home runs. Kameyl Carter leads the way with her ,597 average and six long balls, followed by Rylie Young at .554 with four dingers, Jenna Campbell at .522 with five homers, Emilee Applegate at. 485 with three homers and Maggie Roberts swinging at a .348 clip.
The Lady Hounds sported a perfect 12-0 conference record going into a Tuesday, May 9 trip to Fairfield, which could be one of their toughest challenges of the season, facing the 12-9 Lady Lions, who lead the big school division of the SHAC. Manchester opens Division IV sectional play on Wednesday, May 10, playing host to the winner of the Western Latham-South Gallia game, looking to claima sectional title and a return trip to the district tournament. Look for reports on all that action in future editions of The People’s Defender, your only local high school sports coverage.
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