It hasn’t always been smooth for the Eupora Lady Eagles softball team in the first inning this year but the team seems to get it going when the dust starts to clear.
It appeared it might go the same way last Thursday as the Lady Eagles gave up three base runners in the first and a run but they settled in on defense. After getting out of the top of the first against Winona, the team exploded at the plate and would roll to a 16-1 victory.
“The first inning has been our nemesis all year long,” coach Amir Hunt said. “We gave up one run and got out of the inning and after that we calmed down and played softball the rest of the game. We did what we did after the first inning what we’ve done all year long – played routine softball.”
Eupora surrendered that run in the first as the opening runner reached on an error and they put together a couple of hits against Meleah Pogue. As a run came across, it wasn’t enough to severely damage the Lady Eagles’ confidence at the plate.
An aggressive approach paid off dividends in this game as Eupora sent 14 batters to the plate in the first inning with nine runs on six hits. It was 9-1 and Winona was already in over its head from there. Pogue and the defense put up zeros in the second and third inning to secure the easy win.
At the plate, it continued in the second frame with six more runs on eight hits and 10 batters brought around to make it 15-1 and the Lady Eagles got another run in the third to walk off with a run-rule.
In not even three official innings, the Lady Eagles pounded out 15 hits in the victory. Makenzie Reed-Wood went a perfect 3-for-3 in the game with an RBI, Ally Bingham and Aubree Mason each had two hits and two RBI and Ella Harrison and Harper Doggett both went 2-for-2.
“Our first game or two we were really struggling to find barrels and get base hits but (Thursday) we really came out and showed out,” assistant coach Lilli Moore said. “I think the girls were a little nervous at the start of the year but they’re adjusting well. In my opinion, we’re not missing a beat.”
The Lady Eagles kept up the good work on Saturday as they took on the West Point Green Wave and got a blowout 21-2 victory to move to 6-3 on the young year.
Weather looks to be playing a factor in what was going to be a busy spring break for the Lady Eagles. Eupora had two Round Robin tournaments set this week with the first one on Monday cancelled due to wet fields. There’s impending severe weather on Wednesday that has another Round Robin in danger as Eupora was scheduled to play Ridgeland at Noon and Shannon at 3 p.m.
