Savana Kates
HAGERSTOWN, Ind. – Wednesday was about bouncing back for the Centerville softball team as the Bulldogs defeated Hagerstown 5-0.
“This was a big win for us after the disappointing outing we had over the weekend,” Centerville Head Coach Avon Miller said of his team’s 3-1 loss to the Tigers during the Wayne County Tournament last Saturday.
“This is a real spirit lifter for the girls,” Miller said. “(I’m) really proud of the job they did.”
For Hagerstown, it was the second straight loss to a county rival as the Tigers fell to Lincoln last Saturday after they beat Centerville.
“Defensively, we did a great job,” Hagerstown Head Coach Kelsi Stotler said. “Offensively, we couldn’t get out bats going. We’ve been struggling that the last few games and we’re trying to work through that.”
Wednesday’s Tri-Eastern Conference affair was a scoreless tie after five innings and Miller offered encouraging words to his team.
“I was telling them .. we’ve been hitting the ball,” he said. “We’ve been making contact. We’re just not hitting it solid. Get your timing, keep your head down on the ball. They did it.”
The response for Centerville was a pair of runs in the top of the sixth.
Amanda Wilson began the inning with a double and she was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Honkomp.
Savana Kates followed with a double that scored Wilson for the first run of the contest.
“We needed to get the hitting started,” Kates said. “We were there, they just weren’t falling.”
“We were keeping up in the dugout,” Kates added. “I think the energy kept us going.”
After Kates broke the ice, Kaylin Smith stroked a double that made it 2-0.
In the seventh, the Bulldogs added three more runs as Honkomp and Kates highlighted the frame with RBI singles.
Honkomp tossed a complete game for the Bulldogs as she allowed four hits with eight strikeouts.
Brytni Dale went the distance on the mound for the Tigers and she had four strikeouts.
Wilson and Kates led Centerville with two hits each. Honkomp, Smith, Madison Clark, Maggie Curts and Cassidy Weiss also had hits.
Lacee Dale, Morgan Masters, Taylor Kelley and Ashley Strunk had hits for the Tigers.
Hagerstown (5-5, 1-1) is back in action with a conference tilt at home against Tri on Thursday. Centerville (5-2, 1-1) visits TEC foe Lincoln on Friday.