By By Matthew Nascone
The Northview softball team grabbed a 7-1 win in the first meeting of the battle for the border with the Escambia County Lady Blue Devils.
"We hit the ball real well on our way to 15 hits," NHS head coach Sammy Day said. "We also played well defensively with only one error."
Day said his girls seemed to be stroking the ball well and he was pleased with the complete game they played.
After a scoreless first inning the Lady Devils broke through with one run in the top of the second inning, but NHS responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning.
The Lady Chiefs added one in the third inning, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to complete the scoring.
Hannah Gunter and Darbi Langhorne each went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double. Langhorne added two runs scored. Meagan Pickern was 2-for-2 with a double, a triple and two RBI and Day said she has been on fire to open the season.
"She is 4-for-5 in two games and that has really helped us score runs," he said.
Nikki Crabtree was 2-for-4 with a double and Kayla Presley was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
Caitlyn Spence contributed a complete game against ECHS, striking out six and walking one. Day said there are some things she needs to work on before the next game.
"She got to a full count with too many batters, but she came back and got them," Day said.
ECHS was not able to score after their early second inning run.
"We were hitting the ball well, but we hit it right at their girls were standing," ECHS head coach Jeff Haney said. "Northview hit the ball well, but we also made some mistakes that cost us some runs."
Haney said the game was a good team effort.
"We did make some good plays and this was a team deal," Haney said.
Raven Culliver pitched the entire game for the Lady Blue and Haney said her performance was all he could ask for.
The Lady Devils lost 5-0 to Greenville on Monday and Haney said the bats never got going in that game.
"We just couldn't get hits when we needed them," Haney said. "All their runs were also unearned so that is something we need to work on."
The Lady Chiefs faced South Walton in their district opener Feb. 24 and the results will be in Wednesday's Advance.