Hope- A Spring Hill vs Hope showdown took place on Thursday night at Lady Cat field and this game had a bit of everything, from the long ball, to small ball, to a comeback getting stalled on a snag in RF by Lady Bear Darby Coffee. Grace Trauger of Hope and Emma Rhodes of Spring Hill got the nod from their respective coaches to take the pitchers circle on Thursday night. Spring Hill got off to a fast start as they took an early 1-0 lead on a Livi Tyree single to score Ava McBrayer. In the top of the 3rd inning, Ava McBrayer went kaboom on a HR over the left-field wall to give the Lady Bears a 2-0 advantage. A few batters later, Baili Bulter got ahold of a ball and watched it get out of the park in a hurry, as she blasted a 2-run HR to give Spring Hill a 4-0 lead. McBrayer would strike again, as she doubled in Mazie Calhoun in the 4th inning and then Cami Porter would score Emma Rhodes on a sac-fly to make the lead 6-0 Lady Bears. In the bottom half of the 4th inning Hope got a little something brewing, as they pushed across their first run on a ground ball from Tanasia Young that would bring home a run. Trauger would settle in late and hold Spring Hill scoreless the rest of the game and the defense stepped up late to give the Cats a chance at a comeback. Yoshigei Gonzales would drive in a run on a hard-hit single to cut into the Spring Hill lead. Hope would start a rally in the 7th, as Ava Brown would draw a leadoff walk to get the inning going. Maddison Brown would follow that up with another walk. With two runners on, Payton Rhodes brought home Ava on a sac-fly to inch the Lady Cats closer. Grace Trauger would bring home Maddison Brown on a fielders choice. With the winning run on base, Chyna Tolliver would hit a ball well to the OF, but Darby Coffee was there to make the play and Spring Hill would win 6-5.
Ava McBrayer would lead the way for the Lady Bears on Thursday, with a HR, double, and a single. Baili Butler had a 2-run HR, and Livi Tyree, Cami Porter, Emma Rhodes, Mazie Calhoun, and Zoey Varner would each have hits for Spring Hill. Emma Rhodes earned the win from the pitchers circle for the Lady Bears.
Tanasia Young and Yoshigei Gonzales would lead the way for Hope at the plate with 2 htis each. Ava Brown, Bella Elliott, and Chyna Tolliver would each have hits for the Lady Cats as well.
Spring Hill is back in action on Friday as they travel to Caddo Hills.
