For years, the pitching has been there, the defense has been there — developing an offense that puts up crooked numbers — that’s what Madison County has been in search of. In a 10-0, five-inning win over Orange County, the Mountaineers saw their regulars come up and do their thing, but better yet, saw a variety of hitters — including some off the bench — step up and deliver a solid road victory.
“You’ve got to put runs on the board the win and that’s what we’re working on,” said Madison caoch Jesse Yowell. “ We might have had a slow start but we’re coming around, trying to be better than the 1-0 and 3-2 ball games we’ve had early in the season and the girls are working hard and I think it’s starting to show.”
While the offense paved the way for the win, almost lost in the game was the quick work Logyn Estes did in the circle. The senior struck out seven and gave up just three hits while walking none. She only had one runner reach scoring position in a 53-pitch effort where she hammered the strike zone for 83 percent strikes.
“Their 1-5, at least from what I’ve seen, those are really good hitters and so what we saw in the previous game I tried to attack the outside corner and my catcher Cassie Smith just did a really good job helping out with that,” Estes said.
Estes was handed the lead out of the gate when Cassie Smith hit a double in the top of the first and Sophie Adams delivered an RBI single. That was good, but things got a lot better in the third.
Madison broke the game open in the top half of that inning, starting with a bases loaded RBI single from Emily Seale. Then righty Lindsay McDaniel went the opposite way down the line on a pitch outside to clear the bases for a 3-run triple. She scored shortly thereafter to make it 6-0 headed to the bottom of the third to complete the 5-run rally.
“I really had to wait for the right pitch and get on it,” McDaniel said. “Beating rivals is always better than a regular win but we just have to take it into the next game and keep winning.”
The Mountaineers put together a 4-run rally in the top of the fifth to put Orange on the ropes. After a Seale double and two walks, pinch hitter Abi Tanner come up clutch with a 2-run single on a shot to left field. And RBI single from Estes added to the lead. A sacrifice fly from Amy Deane made it 10-0 and then Estes was able to strikeout the first two batters in the bottom of the fifth before making a diving catch to lock up the win.
“Abi’s a girl that hasn’t played softball for two years and she comes back, works hard, has that speed and it’s one of those things that helps us out a lot,” Yowell said. “You see someone like her improve every practice and we’ve got a lot depth but that just adds to it. That just gives you confidence as a coach and I’m already confident in all of the girls.”
On the night, Estes was 3-for-4 while Seale was 2-for-3. Six different hitters accounted for Madison’s nine hits.
While it was a tough night for the Hornets, Lindsey Slaughter, Kennedy Tuel and Alana Shumake were all 1-for-2.
