Lady Vols roll at home for fourth-straight victory
It took just 55 minutes for Starkville Academy to continue its softball winning streak on Tuesday night and, strangely enough, just two hits.
That was due to the struggle by Kirk Academy to throw strikes as the Lady Volunteers walked 15 times in just three innings. It led to a 13-1 victory in just three innings, the thirdstraight run-rule win and the fourth-straight win overall for Starkville Academy.
In Monday night’s win over Hebron Christian, the Lady Vols had to change the approach at the plate with a pitcher that was throwing inside. They stepped back in the box and the offense came alive. Against Kirk, it was about staying patient at the plate and waiting for the pitch they wanted.
“In this game right here, it’s all about making adjustments, Starkville Academy head coach Lee Berryhill said. “You’re always making adjustments from game to game and during the game. You’ve got to be able to adjust. (Tuesday) we learn to adjust a little bit and moved up in the box. Each game you learn something from the pitcher you face.”
The patient approach at the
plate paid off in the win column. While it might not have been an exciting day at the plate for the Lady Vol hitters, they were doing what it took to win the game.
It only took two innings of that to get the job done.
Starkville Academy gave up a run in the first and got two runs back in the bottom of the frame. After a three-up-threedown inning by the defense, the strikes were hard to come by for the visitors.
The first four Lady Vols walked in the second followed by errors and wild pitches galore. Before the inning finally came to an end, 16 batters came to the plate, 11 runs were scored thanks to 11 walks and just one hit.
“We waited on strikes really well,” Starkville Academy first baseman Austin Tucker said. “I waited on them pretty good and I thought my teammates did as well.”
Caralyne Montgomery and Arden Parker had the only two hits for the Lady Vols, who had the same amount of hits as their opponent. Montgomery reached all three times she batted with two walks, Tucker had an RBI sacrifice fly and two walks, Arlee Oswalt walked three times, Calliope Koiva and Fallon Parker walked twice as well.
Not to be missed in all the walks from Starkville Academy hitters was the short work that Oswalt did in the circle. Koiva has started at pitcher this season, but Berryhill has also used
Oswalt, who was the team’s pitcher a year ago.
With Koiva extending her pitching on Monday night, she got a chance to play outfield on Tuesday and rest her arm. Berryhill liked what he saw from Oswalt in her stint.
“She threw strikes,” Berryhill said. “She made them swing the bat which is a big difference compared to what they did and what we did. We’ve got her and
Calliope as our pitchers so you try to keep both of them ready and sharp. Calliope threw three games last week and threw (Monday). We’ve got to have both of them.”
The Lady Vols (4-2) try to continue the winning streak on Thursday when they host a return game with Oak Hill Academy, which will come to Starkville. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.