Lady Cougars sweep ACS Lady Rams
Published 6:24 pm Thursday, February 28, 2013
The Escambia Academy Lady Cougars swept the Atmore Christian School Lady Rams 15-1 and 12-0 in a doubleheader Thursday afternoon to make up for a postponement due to rain earlier in the season.
Neither team was able to score in the first inning of play in game one. EA’s Grayson Emmons was walked by ACS pitcher Karrie Hillburn. Emmons later stole second base, but was left stranded.
EA pitcher Autumn Corley gave up a single to Lady Ram Narisa Wiggins in the bottom of the inning, but retired the side.
The Lady Cougars were bolstered in the top of the second when Sydney McGhee got to first base on balls and then stole second and third before a single by Corley brought her home.
Corley was replaced on first by Hannah Fountain. Fountain stole second base and later scored on a single. EA took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the second.
Corley retired the side in order to get out of the inning.
EA’s Lacie Flowers hit a bunt single to start the top of the third before Emmons moved her to second on a bunt and a fielder’s choice. Hillburn retired the side.
Lady Rams’ batters fell in order in the bottom of the third.
McGhee hit a lead-off double for EA in the top of the fourth and moved to third on a ground out by Kortlan Peebles. McGhee later scored on a groundout by Fountain.
Shyla Godwin scored on a triple by Flowers to give the Lady Cougars a 5-0 lead. Flowers would later score on an error to give EA a 6-0 lead.
Fountain relieved Corley as the Lady Rams came up to bat in the bottom of the fourth.
Fountain walked Wiggins, who stole second on a pass ball. A single by Lauren Metzler scored Wiggins from third. ACS cut the lead to 6-1.
EA opened up the fifth inning with a single by Allie Brooks. McGhee then followed that up with a bunt single before a Megan Fournier single scored Brooks.
McGhee scored on a Fountain lineout to left. A Godwin single scored Fournier and Fountain to put EA up 10-1. Godwin would later score on a Lacie Flowers hit to give the Lady Cougars a 12-1 lead with no outs in the top of the fifth.
Hillburn walked Emmons and Chelsea Ramer hit a single that scored Flowers to put EA up 13-1. Brooks knocked in Emmons and Ramer to give the Lady Cougars their last two scores at 15-1.
“The girls had an opportunity to a little bit more,” said EA coach David Williams. “It was good to see them swing, run and catch. They’ve done what I’ve expected so far.”
ACS struggled to hit in both games of the doubleheader, said coach Tim Battles.
“We went 3-for-27 at the plate,” he said. “That’s not the greatest stat in the world.”
A strong start at the plate for the Lady Cougars in game two doomed ACS, whose players came up to bat already down 7-0.
Grace Kilcrease pitched for ACS in game two, while Brooks took the circle for EA.
The Lady Cougars got an early start with a Lacie Flowers double that scored Godwin. Emmons was walked and then took second, while Flowers stole third. Flowers scored on a liner from Ramer. Brooks then bunted to load the bases.
A single by Peebles scored Emmons and a bases-loaded walk of Corley scored Ramer and put the Lady Cougars up 4-0 with no outs in the first.
Another bases-loaded walk allowed another EA score. Peebles and Corley also corssed the plate in the first to give EA a 7-0 lead.
In the bottom of the first inning, Brooks gave up a hit to ACS’ Kaylynn Swartzendruber, who later stole second and got to third base on a passed ball. Wiggins got the ball into play, but Schwartzendruber was thrown out at the plate for the Lady Rams’ first out. Kilcrease struck out and a Grace Coon was thrown out at first for the third out.
Emmons hit a single to start the second inning for EA. Ramer followed with a flyout to left before a Fountain single got Emmons to third. Emmons scored on a passed ball to give the Lady Cougars an 8-0 lead.
McGhee singled before Corley hit into a double play to end the inning.
Hillburn hit a single for the Lady Rams in the bottom of the second before the side was retied.
ACS’ Swartzendruber relieved Kilcrease at the top of the third inning. Swartzendruber walked the bases loaded with no outs before an Emmons double scored three runs. The Lady Cougars led 11-0.
Emmons moved to third on a groundout by Ramer and was brought around to score during the next at-bat. McGhee doubled before the Lady Rams recorded the third out of the inning.
ACS batters were retired in order to end the game.