After decisively winning Monday’s season opener against Oakdale, the Lady Waves hosted the Knox Webb Lady Spartans on Tuesday. The SOR girls have had some close battles with Webb over the past few seasons, and informed softball fans knew that this game could be a measuring stick early in the Lady Waves’ season. For the fans and players, the chilly mid-March temperatures weren’t going to keep them from enjoying some good fast pitch softball.
The first inning started out with two slap hitters coming to the plate to face Midway’s starting pitcher, Michelle Walden. The first slapper popped out to left fielder Haley Parks. The second was the victim of a Walden strike out. It was 1-2-3 for the Lady Wave defense, as short stop Hayley Patterson fielded a grounder and threw to first baseman Taylr Hall to end the first half of the frame.
The first inning was the big one for the Midway offense. The Webb pitching was strong, but the Lady Waves were up to the task. Center fielder Danielle Borum started off by beating out a throw for an infield single. Walden followed by walking after facing a full count. Courtesy runner Kayla Hamilton came on for Walden, and the Lady Waves had runners on first and second. An infield fly by the next batter put one out on Midway. However, freshman right fielder Alex Richardson delivered the goods when she came to the plate. Richardson smoked a line drive to center field. It was a 2 RBI double for Richardson, as Hamilton’s speed allowed her to beat the throw home. After another out, Patterson singled to move Richardson to third. With two outs and two on, catcher Paige Moree hit the ball deep down the right field line, to get her own 2 RBI double. Moree was left stranded after the third Midway out, but the damage was done. After one inning, it was Lady Waves 4, Lady Spartans 0.
The second inning went by quickly for both teams. Webb got their first hit on a single, but third baseman Hali Morris field the next batter’s ground ball and went to Hall at first for an out. Another Walden strike out and another Patterson assist to Hall kept the game scoreless for the Lady Spartans.
The bottom of the second was uneventful, and the score remained 4-0.
In the top of the third, the Midway defense stayed strong. Another Patterson to Hall play and another strikeout by Walden accounted for the first two outs. Morris made an exceptionally good grab on a line drive toward third, and it was another three batter inning for Webb.
The bottom of the inning provided some excitement for the Midway fans, as Haley “Out of the” Parks took the ball deep over the center field fence for her second home run in two days. Second baseman Taylor Narramore drew a walk, but Parks’ homer was the only score of the inning. Midway 5, Webb 0.
The fourth inning again saw no score for either team. Patterson fielded a pop up and a grounder for the first two outs. The third out was a pop up to Moree.
Morris singled to start out the bottom, and Hall drew a walk. The Lady Waves couldn’t capitalize, however.
In the fifth, only three batters came to the plate for each team. Richardson and Narramore caught pop outs, and Patterson fielded another grounder and threw to Hall for the third out.
All three Lady Waves grounded out in the bottom.
The Lady Waves had to face three consecutive slap hitters to start the sixth inning. The first slapper beat out an infield throw to reach base. Walden fielded the ball on the next one and threw to Hall for an out at first. With a runner on second, the last slapper hit the ball into shallow center field. That put two runners on for Webb. On the next batter, Patterson went back to make a nice catch for the second out, but the Lady Spartan runner on third tagged up and scored on the play. Midway 5, Webb 1. Another Webb batter reached base on a very close infield play to put two runners on. The Lady Waves ended the threat, though, when Walden took a grounder to Hall for the third out.
The Midway bats had cooled off late in the game, and all three batters grounded out in the bottom of the sixth.
The Lady Wave defense was poised in the last frame. Narramore stayed with a tough grounder and went to Hall for the first out. Walden recorded her fourth strike out of the contest to get out number two. Borum made a running dive on a ball hit to shallow center, but couldn’t quite hang on. The next Webb batter bunted to reach base and put two runners on. Once again, a Lady Spartan slapper came up, but Patterson fielded her line drive to end the game. Final score: Lady Waves 5, Lady Spartans 1.
It was another good performance for the Midway girls. Consistent pitching and solid fielding kept the score low for Webb and the pitch count low for Walden. The Lady Waves showed explosive bats early in the game. The Lady Waves will have a few days off, as they prepare for this weekend’s tournament in Dayton. Their next home game will be on Monday, when they host the Rockwood Lady Tigers in a big district contest.