Lady Devils Enjoys Four-Game Win Streak
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The Lady Devils are the reigning “Cha Cha Slide Queens” of Carroll County.
The Lady Devils softball team enjoyed an exciting week by defeating Hickory Flat, M.S. Palmer and J.Z. George to ride a victory wave into spring break and improve to 6-4 (1-0 District 2-2A).
On Monday, the team traveled to Hickory Flat and senior Tryn Walton pitched a complete game to defeat the Lady Rebels 18-6. It was a solid team effort with multiple Lady Devils driving in runs over four innings of play. Walton, senior Mariya Morgan and eighth grader Abbi Roberson had seven of the eight total hits, with Freshman Bentlee Tucker grabbing the last one. The team also stayed aggressive on the bases with 13 total steals.
Eighth grader Jamaya Martin runs the bases.
Rain on Tuesday caused a change to the schedule, with J.Z George being moved to Friday and giving the girls time to prepare for their opening District 2-2A clash against M.S. Palmer on Thursday.
Freshman Bentlee Tucker returned the mound against M.S. Palmer with a solid outing. Tucker gave up no hits with two unearned runs, striking out six and walking one to defeat the Lady Dragons 21-2. The ladies produced another gritty offensive night with 13 total hits. Senior Tryn Walton and Tucker both had three hits, while seniors Belle Belcher and Mariya Morgan had two. The team ran wild on the bases with 13 total stolen, led by Walton, Belcher and Morgan. Sophomore Kenley Pullen and eighth grader Abbi Roberson contributed to the stolen total. The win put them at the top of District 2A heading into spring break.
The Lady Devils saved the best for last, traveling to Carrollton on Friday to play a makeup doubleheader against J.Z. George High School. Rain had cancelled two previous games, but a overcast, 70 degree evening made for a perfect night to play some softball. Before the game, while waiting for the umpires to arrive, both teams enjoyed some time “dancing’ on the field and the Lady Devils are now the “reigning Cha Cha Slide Queens of Carroll County.”
Game one of the double header was a tour de force by the Lady Blue Devils as they pounced on the Lady Jaguars, winning 19-1 in four innings. Freshman Bethany Adams threw a masterful game with one hit and one run (unearned) while striking out three. The entire team produced at the plate and on the bases, with thirteen hits and 14 stolen bases over the our innings.
Senior Tryn Walton (center) watches eighth grade catcher Abbi Roberson fire the ball to first.
Game two was the most enjoyable with multiple lead changes over seven innings, culminating in Senior Mariya Morgan (who also led the team with four hits in five at a bats) crossing the plate in the bottom of the 7th inning to score the winning run. Sophomore Addy Douglas started on the mound, giving up four runs on one and one third innings.
Freshman Bethany Adams attempted to come on in relief but was tired from the first outing, so senior Tryn Walton stepped on the rubber executed well surrendering two hit and four runs, while striking out five. The Lady Devils were down 10-4 at the bottom of the third and kept plugging away at the deficit, getting to 10-9 after the fifth inning, then falling behind again at 14-9 at the top of the sixth inning.
The team picked it back up in the sixth, scoring four runs to bring the game closer at 14-13. In the top of the seventh, the Lady Jaguars had multiple opportunities, but a bang-bang double play by senior Belle Belcher stymied their momentum and allowed the Lady Devils to get out of the inning unscathed. In the bottom of the inning, the team shined with a leadoff walk by freshman Bentlee Tucker and then another solid plate appearance by senior Mariya Morgan. With aggressive base running and timely hits, Morgan was able to cross the plate and give the Lady Devils a well deserved come from behind win, to improve to 6-4 overall.
While the second game was tighter, the team still had solid offensive production with Mariya Wilson leading the way and Bethany Adams, Abbi Roberson and Junior Mariah Wilson collecting multiple hits in support, with eighth grader also Jamaya Martin contributing.
“One of the hardest things to coach is ‘how’ to win,” Head Coach Michael Howland said. “Players always get ahead of themselves when faced with adversity and this team is learning that patience, solid defense and just waiting for the opportunities to score runs can produce good results. It is never easy, but it wouldn’t mean as much if it was. Tonight was a great example of that and I think they are starting to believe they are as good as the coaches know they are.”
Next up is a well deserved spring break, then Lake Cormorant visits Lady Devil field for the PINK OUT for Cancer game on Saturday, March 15. The team will play JV at noon and Varsity at 1 p.m. The Lady Devils return to district play (2A,Region 2) on Tuesday, March 18 against the Bruce Lady Trojans at Bruce.
