By By ROBERT BLANKENSHIP
Advance Managing Editor
The Escambia Academy Lady Cougars' softball team has been a run-producing machine so far this season, but it was only good enough to earn a split in their first two games.
Lady Cougars 16, Greenville Academy 4
In their season opener, the Lady Cougars cruised to victory against Greenville Academy 16-4.
Greenville scored one run in the top of the inning to take the lead.
EA came right back and scored three in the bottom of the inning as Krystal Hall, Meagan Jackson and Kristen Lyles each scored after reaching on singles. The Tornados did not help themselves as they allowed each runner to steal at least one base and then allowed two others to advance after passed balls – a theme that would plague them throughout the contest.
Greenville Academy made the score 3-2 after scoring in the top of the second before EA's Rachel Pipkin and Hall scored in the bottom of the inning to stretch the lead to three runs, 5-2.
The Tornados went down in order in their half of the third and EA capitalized as they scored six runs in the bottom of the inning to take a comfortable 10-2 lead. Kristen Lyles, Shelley Moore, Anna Parish, Heather James, Pipken and Hall each scored in the inning.
Greenville scored two runs in the fourth, but were unable to make any big run on the Lady Cougars who added five more runs to their lead in the fourth. Shelly Hester led off the inning with a triple and then scored on a base hit by Lori Bonds. Bonds, Mallory Martin, Anna Phillips and Meagan Jackson also scored a run in the inning. Jackson drove in two of the runs with a triple that ended the scoring.
Leading hitters in the game for the Lady Cougars were Hall, who went two for two with a walk and two runs scored, Jackson went two for four and scored two runs and Amanda Flowers went two for four at the plate.
Rachel Pipken earned the win on the mound and struck out four Tornados.
Monroe Academy 17,
Lady Cougars 11
The Lady Cougars jumped out to a big lead but was unable to keep Monroe Academy off the bases late in the game allowing them to come back for a 17-11 victory.
Pitching woes helped Escambia Academy batters in the bottom of the first as Krystal Hall and Meagan Jackson led off the game with consecutive walks. Lauren Lyles followed with a single that drove in one run and then Kristen Lyles was hit by a pitch. Hall, Jackson, L. Lyles and K. Lyles all came around to score. Rachel Pipken, Heather James also scored in the inning and Hall scored a second time in the inning on a single by Jackson. When the inning ended, EA held a 7-0 lead.
Monroe Academy did not get on the board until the third inning when they brought six runners around to score, cutting EA's lead to only one run, 7-6.
Jackson stretched the lead to 8-6 for the Lady Cougars after she scored on a triple by L. Lyles.
But, Monroe scored two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game and then scored nine more through the next three innings to secure the victory.
Ellen Corman and Lori Bonds scored EA's final two runs and they both came in the sixth inning.
Leading hitters for the Lady Cougars were L. Lyles who went two for four and scored one run. Hall, Jackson and Amanda Flowers each had one hit.
Pipken pitched for the Lady Cougars and suffered her first loss of the season. She struck out six batters in the game.
The Lady Cougars' record stands at 1-1 on the season. They hosted South Montgomery Christian Academy on Friday and traveled to Warrior Academy on Saturday. They will host Faith Academy on Tuesday.