Lady Mustangs raise curtain on softball season

The Saddle Ridge Lady Mustangs traveled to Trion to begin the 2016 softball season last Monday, but were forced to return to Rock Spring after being saddled with a 5-3 loss.

Madi Ashley was 2 for 4 with a double and a triple in defeat. Gracie Hamilton went 2 for 3, Madison Sisemore doubled and LaTyah Barber added a single. Ashley Jenkins, Haynie Gilstrap and Bailey Meyers each scored once.

Haley Stahl took the loss in the circle. She finished with two strikeouts.

Chattanooga Valley 4, Saddle Ridge 2

The Lady Mustangs struck out 11 times in last Tuesday’s league loss in Flintstone.

Saddle Ridge got singles from Barber, Stahl, Jenkins and Ash- ley. They had the tying run in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but could not get the run home.

Abby Sansing started the game in the circle and struck out two batters before giving way to Stahl, who finished with seven strikeouts.

Saddle Ridge 12, LaFayette 0

The Navy-and-Red made the drive down Highway 27 on Thursday to face their potential future high school teammates at LaFayette and they brought their bats with them as they pounded out 16 hits to score the shutout.

Sisemore paced Saddle Ridge with a 3 for 3 performance at the plate. She also scored twice, while Sansing was 2 for 2 with a triple also scored twice. Stahl scored twice and had a double as one of her two hits, joining Barber and Jenkins, who also had two hits. Jenkins also scored a pair of runs.

Summer Burkett doubled and drove in three runs, while Hamilton, Bailey Myers, Lexi Baker and Haynie Gilstrap had one hit each. Gilstrap, Baker, Myers and Anna Grace Gilreath all crossed the plate once.

Stahl was strong in the circle, allowing just two hits and fanning 11 in the shutout win. Ashley, the catcher, was praised by head coach Daniel Scoggins for her work behind the dish.

The Lady Mustangs went 1-2-1 at the Ringgold Middle School Back To School Tournament over the weekend. Saddle Ridge tied Westside (3-3) and beat LaFayette (4-1), but lost to Gordon Lee (11-0) and Red Bank (9-2).

Individual statistics were not provided.

Saddle Ridge (2-4-1) will play Rossville on Tuesday at LaFayette High School before traveling to Dade County on Thursday.