After starting the season winning seven of its first nine games, Western Hills’ softball team has hit a slump as of late. The Lady Wolverines have dropped three of their last four games including a 12-1 drubbing in five innings by visiting Woodford County Thursday night.
Western Hills fell to 8-5 on the season and 1-3 in the district.
“We ran into a buzz saw,” WHHS coach Jeff Pritchett said of the Lady Jackets. “They came out with one intention. That was to crush the ball.”
And crush the ball they did. The Lady Jackets (8-3, 3-0) hit the ground running, scoring three runs on four hits in the first inning and then piling on six more runs in the second on four more hits – including a pair of home runs.
“Unfortunately, early on, our pitchers had a hard time hitting their spots,” Pritchett said. “A good hitting team is going to take advantage of that.”
WCHS’ Keely Moussette led off the game with a double and eventually scored after a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. Then, with two outs, Cheyenne Jamison and Leah Shelton each singled and were brought home on a double hit by Catie Fletcher to make it 3-0.
After a three-up-three-down inning for WHHS, Woodford continued its hit parade. Brooke Corum got a lead-off walk and then was driven in on a home run by Moussette to centerfield. Andrea Graham then reached on an error and Darrian Jamison followed with another homer to center to put WCHS up 7-0.
WHHS’ starting pitcher Brooklyn Etherington was then replaced by Taylor Slade. The hits kept coming with Cheyenne Jamison hitting a double and then scoring on a single by Fletcher. She would later score on an error to put WCHS up 9-0.
The Lady Wolverines struggled at the plate against Woodford’s Shelby Abel. She had five strikeouts and scattered three hits. WHHS didn’t manage its first hit until the third inning when the Lady Jackets were already up 11-0.
Torey Hawkins hit a double to lead off the third. Then, with two outs, McKenna Brown slapped a single to center. Torey Hawkins would later score on a throwing error by Darrian Jamison trying to catch Brown stealing second.
WHHS’ only other hit came in the fifth on a single by Sawyer Coffey.
Woodford posted its last run in the fifth inning on an RBI-double hit by Darrrian Jamison that scored Moussette.
“We knew they were a good-hitting team,” Pritchett said. “They showed us tonight that, to win the district, you’re going to have to come and bring it.
“Hopefully we realize what it takes and we continue to improve,” he added. “Again, it’s the middle of April. We have over a month to prepare. I said it last year and the year before, you have 36 scrimmages to get ready for the postseason.”
Western Hills hits the field again Monday at Mercer County.
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