By RICHIE HALL
ARCADIA – The scoring was early and often at Hamilton Heights on Wednesday.
The Huskies’ softball team hosted Guerin Catholic in an all-county game. The Golden Eagles batted first and scored first, but Heights responded with three home runs during the first two innings. The momentum from those big hits carried the Huskies through to a 6-2 victory.
“It really turned our team’s energy up, for sure,” said Heights coach Shelby Willis.
Guerin Catholic scored both of their runs in the first inning. Kate Brady led off with a single, then moved to second base on Madi Cain’s sacrifice bunt. Lucy Kemp sent a base hit into center field, which eventually scored Brady. Anna Mauch came up next and hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Kemp.
Guerin Catholic’s Ava Augustinovicz pitched a complete game with six strikeouts. (Richie Hall)
The Huskies quickly tied the game in the bottom of the first. Lily Cash got on base with a left field hit and was soon back home: Kamryn Rhoton sent a home run into center field.
Heights kept it rolling in the second inning by scoring its other four runs. Ellie Engle smacked a solo home run into left field. Later, Hailey Hall got on base with a single, then moved to second base when Taya Trosper drew a walk. Cash came up next and sent a homer over the left field fence.
That would be it for scoring, although Guerin Catholic threatened in the seventh inning. Izzy Phillips led off with a single, then the Golden Eagles absorbed two outs before Cain and Kemp both hit singles to load the bases. But center fielder Hailey Hall caught a flyout for the third out, clinching the Huskies’ victory.
Willis said her team handled the seventh inning “very well. We always are really good under pressure, specifically our pitching staff.”
Cash handled everything well on both sides of the plate. She was 2-for-3 on offense, while striking out eight in a complete-game pitching effort. McKenzie Jackson hit a double, one of the Huskies’ seven hits.
Guerin Catholic collected nine hits, including a 3-for-4 outing by Kemp. Brooklyn Fritsche and Kate Brady were both 2-for-3.
“They were struggling for that one inning and then they came back,” said GC coach Erika Weber. The coach credited pitcher Ava Augustinovicz with playing well; she also threw a complete game with six strikeouts.
“When she gets down, she knows she has her defense to back her up,” said Weber. “We have all seniors in the infield helping her out and they just tell her they had her back. I think that builds her confidence, because as you saw after that, she started going hard and she started getting some Ks.”
Heights is 10-5 and plays Friday at Cascade. The Golden Eagles are 6-5 and play Friday at Carmel.
Be the first to comment on "Softball: Early homers send Huskies past Golden Eagles"