The Midway Lady Wave softball team hosted the Knox Webb Lady Spartans on a chilly Wednesday evening. For most of the game, Webb stayed right on the heels of the Lady Waves. It wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth inning that Midway exploded offensively to run away with the win.
In the first two innings, the Lady Waves were unable to muster any runs. Pitcher Hannah Colyer and short stop Alex Coffman helped keep the score even, however. Colyer racked up five strikeouts in the first two and a half innings, and Coffman made a couple of nice defensive plays.
In the bottom of the third, Midway finally got on the score board. After a walk by left fielder Ashley Alexander, Coffman hit the ball to right center field. The ball was mishandled by a Lady Spartan outfielder, and the Lady Waves ended up with two runners in scoring position. Catcher Krystal Rue hit into a fielder’s choice play, and the Webb short stop made a good throw home to get an out and delay Midway’s first score of the game. Colyer came up next, however, and she hit a bomb to center field that brought both Coffman and Rue home. After another Midway out, the inning ended with Midway in the lead, 2-0.
Two Midway errors in the top of the fourth resulted in a run by Webb, but Colyer threw two more strike outs to help get the Lady Waves back on deck. A pop out in foul territory and a double play kept Midway from scoring in the bottom of the frame. After four innings, Midway led, 2-1.
After quickly retiring the Lady Spartans in the fifth, Midway got a little more breathing room in the bottom of the inning. With Rue on base as a result of a single, third baseman Michele Walden hit a high pop fly to left field, and an error by the Webb left fielder allowed Rue to score. With Walden on third, first baseman Kati Alexander came to bat and lined the ball hard back at the Webb pitcher. It was much too hard to handle, and Walden scored on the play. By the time the inning was over, the Lady Waves led, 4-1.
Webb made an offensive charge in the top of the sixth inning. The Lady Waves got a good start in the frame, when Walden hustled to make a nice catch on a short pop up for Midway’s first out. However, a single and a stolen base put a Lady Spartan runner in scoring position. The next Webb batter hit to shallow center field, bringing the runner home. After a late throw home, the Midway defense tried to get the trailing runner at third, but an overthrow there allowed that runner to score. Colyer recorded two more strike outs to end the inning, but Webb had narrowed the lead to 4-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Waves opened up the floodgates. Second baseman Taylor Narramore opened up with a single. Danielle Borum, who had entered the line-up in right field, followed with another single. Ainsley Presswood, now playing left field, came to bat and laid down a nice bunt. Webb tried to make the force play on Narramore at third, but she beat the throw with a slide. Next, Coffman hit a grounder to the infield, which the Lady Spartans’ short stop brought home to get a force out. The Lady Waves still had the bases loaded, however, when Rue knocked a base hit past the short stop and scored Borum. Next, Colyer hit a hard shot that went off the short stop’s glove and into the outfield to bring Presswood home. Walden came to bat and popped one up to shallow right center, but the fielder dropped the ball. That allowed Coffman to score, but caused a runner to get forced out at second. Kati Alexander came up to bat next and crushed the ball to right center field, bringing in both Rue and Walden. Center fielder Paige Moree batted in another run in when she singled to score Alexander. Coming up for the second time in the inning, Narramore blasted the ball to left field and brought in Moree. Also hitting two-for-two in the inning was Danielle Borum, who singled to left field. By the time Webb got three outs on the Lady Waves, the margin had been widened to 11-3.
After walking the first batter in the top of the seventh inning, Colyer struck out the next batter.
Walden caught an infield pop up for the second out, then took a grounder and made the throw to Alexander at first to end the game. Final score: Midway 11, Knox Webb 3.
Despite a few errors, the Midway defense was solid for most of the game and Colyer made it a lot easier by tossing for eleven strike outs. The abundance of hits in the sixth inning sealed the deal for the Lady Waves and gave them an impressive win over a Division II school. On Thursday evening, the Lady Waves travel north to play Coalfield. This game will be a rematch of last year’s Region Championship game, which Midway won, 3-0.