Poteau’s Hackler no-hits Panama in opener
Emma Hackler came into her first high-school start with all power in the pitching circle, no-hitting Panama with eight strikeouts in Poteau’s four-inning 12-0 win at home on Monday.
“I thought we hit some balls really good up and down the order. Hackler threw the ball really good. Parker [Patterson] caught her really good. Parker’s getting more used to her. [It was a] Good opener. We’ve got to get ready for our district opener on Thursday,” Poteau head coach Ryan Dill said, alluding to this evening’s 6 p.m. District 4A-8 game against Muldrow.
After Panama’s Krista Dotson reached base on an error to lead off the game, Hackler struck out three straight batters.
“There was never a doubt. Pitching and hitting, you can really see it. She doesn’t look like a freshman out there.”
Patterson hit a runscoring triple and scored on a groundout by Morgan Hagen to give Poteau a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Panama’s Alyssa Yoakum walked in the top of the second inning, but Hackler struck out the other three batters.
Poteau posted a threerun bottom of the second inning with Hackler and Patterson hitting back-toback run-scoring doubles and Hagen sending Patterson across the plate while reaching base on an error.
Hackler’s other walk came in the third inning, but she struck out the first batter and did not allow the ball to leave the infield.
Kiera Cox hit a runscoring double to deep center field, and three Poteau players scored on wild pitches for a 9-0 lead.
After Hackler retired three straight batters in the top of the fourth, Gracie Spradley and Maggie Wheat stole home and Laney Edwards drew a bases-loaded walk to end the game.
Hackler threw 43 of her 63 pitches as strikes (68.3 percent). At the plate, she was 1-for-2 with two walks.
Patterson was 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs batted in. Cox walked twice in addition to her RBI double.
“If we can get Kiera to hit some doubles and possibly home runs in the bottom half of the order, that’s going to be huge,” Dill said.
This was Poteau’s first season-opening win since 2018 and came a year after Poteau lost 10-6 to Panama in its opener.
Panama entered its first game with new head coach Missy Rogers depleted after two key players transferred, infielder Ashley Montgomery to Cameron and outfielder Layla Sons and leading pitcher Kami Autrey to Spiro (who threw 179 strikeouts in 178 innings last year).