Hancock County softball pushes to early season success
Lily Roberts pitched a shutout and Ella House belted a home run during a 10-0 win for the Lady Hornets softball team at Butler County Monday.
House put Hancock County ahead 1-0 in the second inning when her shot to left-center field cleared the fence.
Baylee Estes, Kylie Westerfield and Ella Staples all singled and scored for HCHS in the third while Roberts was striking out batters left and right.
Breze Riley and Estes both singled and came home on a double by Westerfield in the fourth and House knocked in a run to make the score 7-0. The varsity girls added three more runs over the final two innings before the defense closed the door in the sixth.
Roberts got the win while allowing no runs on two hits, with 10 Ks and one walk over six frames.
House was 3 for 3 with the homer and two RBI, and Estes was 3 for 4 with three runs scored. Westerfield was 2 for 4 with the 2B and two RBI, Hallie Coomes was 2 for 3 with one RBI, Staples was 2 for 4 with one RBI, and Riley was 1 for 2.
Henderson County
The Lady Hornets softball team absorbed their first loss of the season, a 12-5 defeat at the hands of Top-10 Henderson County last Thursday at Vastwood Park.
The Lady Colonels plated a run in the first inning before Lily Roberts answered with a solo home run in the second frame.
A 3-run homer by A. Willett in the third gave Henderson a 4-1 lead and the visitors added another on a solo shot in the top of the fourth.
The Lady Hornets got a run in the home half of the fourth when Kylie Westerfield singled and later scored on a hit by Roberts. Hallie Coomes led of the fifth with a base hit and Ella Staples knocked her home.
Hancock County continued to battle as Coomes and Brooke Toler each had an RBI hit.
Henderson closed the door with four runs in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Roberts took the loss on the mound. She allowed 10 runs (eight earned) on eight hits, with nine Ks and four walks over six frames. Gracie Gaynor allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in one inning pitched.
Coomes was 2 for 3 at the plate with one RBI. Roberts was 2 for 4 with the home run and two RBI. Staples was 2 for 4 with one RBI, Toler was 1 for 2 with one RBI, and Westerfield was 1 for 4.
Kaytlan Kemp had two hits for Henderson. She is the daughter of former Hornet Kris Kemp.
Ohio County
The Lady Hornets bounced back with a 4-2 win over Ohio County at Hartford Friday.
Hancock County jumped out to a 1-0 first inning advantage with Ella Staples smacked a double that scored Baylee Estes. The Lady Eagles tied the score when a base runner crossed home plate on a wild pitch.
Kylie Westerfield delivered a big blow in the fourth, a 2-out hit that brought home Brooke Toler and Adi Hurst. Emmalynn Higdon cracked a solo home run in the fourth to give the girls a 4-1 lead. Ohio County’s final run came on a base hit in the home half of the fourth.
Higdon was 2 for 3 at the plate with the home run and one RBI. Staples was 1 for 2 with a double and one RBI, Westerfield was 1 for 3 with two RBI, and Hurst, Estes and Ella House all went 1 for 3.
Roberts earned the win on the mound. She allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits, with nine Ks and two walks over five innings.
By Steve Wimmer
