By By Matthew Nascone
Many analysts will say the triple is the hardest part of completing the hitting cycle in softball, but the home run is the section that evaded Nikki Crabtree April 13.
Crabtree and the Northview High School Lady Chiefs softball team (12-6) squared off against Uriah High School and won 10-0. Crabtree went 3-for-3 at the plate with a single, a double and a triple. She gathered three RBI, but failed to knock one over the fence and fell a home run shy of the cycle.
Caitlin Spence pitched the complete game for the win, striking out four batters and allowing only one hit.
"Caitlin has been pitching good for us," NHS head coach Sammy Day said. "She has had her changeup working and she is able to keep us in games."
The Lady Chiefs showed more of the same on April 11 against Woodham High School, winning 9-0. Spence again received the win for NHS.
Crabtree, Darbi Langhorne and Rachel Killam all went 2-for-3 at the plate and Killam had a triple.
"We seem to start out slow every game, but when we get going we come on strong," Day said. "We have also been playing good defense.
The Lady Chiefs hosted a tournament Tuesday and the results will be in the Advance. NHS hosts another tournament in Bratt tomorrow beginning at 6 p.m.
In baseball action
The Northview Chiefs baseball team had what head coach Sid Wheatley called a 'Tale of Two Cites' in their past two games.
The Chiefs grabbed an 11-1 win over Central High School Monday in Bratt.
"Early on I didn't feel like we were ready to play and we were up 2-1 after the third inning," Wheatley said. "But we went down the left field line and had a talk and they responded by hitting the ball hard from there on out. I guess the heart to heart worked."
Wheatley said Jesse Hayes (2-3) picked up the win for NHS as he threw a complete game and allowed one unearned run on four hits. He struck out six batters and walked three.
"He was solid on the mound for us," Wheatley said. "His control was better than it has been all season."
At the plate for NHS Brandon Walker was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and three runs scored. Hayes was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Travis Duncan was 2-for-3 with a double and one run scored.
The story was vastly different in the Chiefs' final regular season district game April 13 against Catholic High School. NHS dropped the game 9-1 and Wheatley said the team did get the hits when they needed them.
"We didn't play our game and we only had four hits," he said. "The simple fact was that they hit the ball and we didn't."
NHS racked up only four hits in the game and two of those hits came in the first inning as the Chiefs took an early 1-0 lead. But Catholic grabbed the lead in the bottom of the inning with two two-run home runs and led 5-1 when the inning was over.
Wheatley said his team never recovered after that inning.
Hayes, Duncan, Sean Little and Justin Johnson each had one hit apiece.
Clayton Haynie (1-2) took the loss for NHS.
The Chiefs traveled to Baker yesterday and the results will be in the Advance.
Next up for NHS is Pensacola High School in Pensacola April 20.