Fast start propels Lady Rangers to victory over Hampton
Published 8:16 am Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Star Photos/Brandon Hyde
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BY AUSTIN ALEXANDER
STAR CORRESPONDENT
HAMPTON— you win some and you lose some. Sometimes you win big and sometimes you lose big, it’s just a fact of life but either way, you get up the next day and keep on living. Following a 25-3 contest on Monday night, both the Unaka Lady Rangers and the Hampton Lady Bulldogs went away with very different experiences.
For the Lady Rangers, it was quite the night, or one might say inning as they blasted over a whopping 22 runs in the first inning.
It was as though every batter was swinging at whatever came her way. Despite what was likely one of the highest scoring innings in the Lady Rangers history, they knew the game wasn’t over and that there was still a job to be done.
Madison Pierce started the game in the pitching circle for Unaka and she was quickly off the mound in the first after facing just four batters in the inning.
Things got better for the Lady Bulldogs in the second inning, however, as Hampton’s Bailey Andrews went four up and three down with the only runner reaching base on a walk.
The Lady Bulldogs got on the board in the bottom of the same inning when Andrews laced a groundball into left scoring previously walked Destini Milhorn from second base.
The inning came to a close after the next batter, Reagan Baker, grounded into a routine 5-3 out.
The top of the third frame saw the Lady Rangers conclude their scoring.
After back-to-back singles from Sarah Elliott and Alana Parsons, Macy Williams stepped up with two outs and hit a seeing-eye single into left scoring both the runners and making the score 25-1.
The only offense mustered up from Hampton in the home portion of the third inning came from a Maddie Setlock single into centerfield.
The fourth inning was a defensive showcase from both teams as a total of seven batters went to the plate during the entire inning.
The fifth inning belonged to the Lady Bulldogs who continued to compete despite the deficit they faced.
Andrews kicked the inning off with a blooper to center for a single. Following a sacrifice bunt from Baker and a stolen base, Andrews moved to third base.
Shae Maslin then hit a single to the third baseman setting the stage for Sara Orr. Orr slapped a deep fly ball into left, just feet short of the fence scoring two runners before being picked off gambling for third.
The game would finish 25- 3 in favor of the Lady Rangers.
Pierce had a big day with the bat going a perfect 5-for-5 in the game. Sadie Shoun, Erika Potter (two doubles), and Lilie Kiser each blasted out three hits as well for Unaka who totaled 25 hits in the game.
Pierce accounted for five RBI’s while Kiki Forney drove in four runs. Potter, Kiser, and Kendall Bare collected three RBI’s each.
Orr, Setlock, and Andrews collected two hits apiece for Hampton.
