After five innings it looked like it was going to be a photo finish, but then Orange County loaded the bases in the top of the seventh and brought in three runs to extend its lead, and that was that.
The Hornets only trailed briefly on the road against Madison County. And once Mandy Murphy gave her team the lead on a 2-run homerun, Orange was able to keep the Mountaineers quiet and come away with a 7-2 win.
“Our pitching was good and we hit the ball pretty well,” said Hornets coach John Henry Ryder. “It took us a little bit to get warmed up but we did a good job putting it in play. I’ve always believed that you’ve got to hit the ball to win, I don’t care if anyone makes an out when they put the ball in play. Good things happen if you put it in play.”
That wasn’t a problem on Wednesday night. Orange took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single from Murphy, but considering that the bases were loaded for the Hornets with only one out, it seemed like a small victory for Madison pitcher Jordan Aylor who her worked her way out of a significant jam.
Madison answered back when Anna Keliher brought in a pair of runs on a line shot that glanced off an outfielders glove. That was the only scoring for the Mountaineers as they managed just two more hits in the contest, a single from Keliher and a double from Casey Racer.
Murphy’s second big hit of the night put Orange out in front for the rest of the game. After Micalah Sacre drew a walk, Murphy made it count on a shot to left field.
“Lately I’ve been told that I need to relax,” Murphy said. “So I just went up there and tried to picture it in slowmotion. I got a good pitch, saw it from the hip and it came in nice and easy for me to hit.”
Sacre threw the first four innings for Orange and surrendered no earned runs while striking out eight batters. Coming in in relief, Aysha Richardson finished the game and pitches three shutout innings, fanning three Mountaineers.
“We’re just not swinging the bats real well right now,” said Madison coach Jesse Yowell. “I thought that was a really close game, a good game until the seventh, but we need more offense.”
Up 3-2 going into the sixth, Orange added some much needed insurance on an RBI single from Brianna Knicely. Then in the seventh the Hornets put the game on ice with a 3-run rally highlighted by a 2-run single from Jackie Calero.
Murphy finished the game 3 for 4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Sacre was 2 for 3 with two runs scored.
For Madison, Keliher, Racer and Taylor Yowell each went 1 for 3.
Orange (6-0) heads to Goochland on Friday at 5 p.m.
Madison County (4-3) travels to Page County on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
