Lady Dogs run all over Chilton, 16-0
The Thorndale Lady Dogs softball team resumed district play at home on Friday, March 10, with a monstrous win over the Chilton Lady Pirates, winning 16-0 in three innings.
The Lady Dogs scored 10 runs in the first inning and added another six runs in the second inning to later finish the game in three innings. Thorndale traveled to Granger on Saturday to take on the Lady Lions. The Lady Dogs shut out Granger as well, winning 10-0.
Thorndale got things moving in the first inning, when Karis Ginn singled on a ground ball to right field, scoring one run. Thorndale added on another run in the second inning to go up 2-0. The Lady Dogs tallied four runs in the fifth inning and another four runs in the sixth inning to finish the game in six innings. Karis Ginn and Aiyanna Stevenson powered the big sixth inning with RBI doubles to left field.
Thorndale had nine hits in the game. Karis Ginn and Natalie Garcia both collected multiple hits for Thorndale. Karis Ginn led the team with three hits in four at bats. Karis Ginn also got the start and the win for the Lady Dogs. She lasted all six innings, allowing two hits and zero runs while striking out nine and walking one. Thorndale returned home on Monday March 13 to host the Thrall Tigrettes. The Lady Dogs were victorious again winning 4-1. Thorndale gave up one run in the fifth inning, which the only run they allowed in the three games.
“At the beginning of the year, she (Karis Ginn) had a bit of a thumb injury, and now I think she’s over that,” Coach Lance Betak said. “So, she’s pitching really, really well (number one). And number two: everybody is taking care of their job. For a while, we were messing up the routine plays. Now, we’re making all the routine plays, plus we’re making two or three really, really good defensive plays to help keep them at 0 or 1 these past three games, so it’s been pretty awesome.”
Some of those really good defensive plays include a snag catch by Raeghan Carlson who turned that catch into a double play, and in the seventh inning on a stretched out catch by Emily Reeves in foul territory. Thorndale would score three runs in the third inning. Those runs would come off a single by Natalie Garcia and a single by Karis Ginn.
“I was glad that we bunted pretty well tonight,” Betak said. “We sacrificed or we bunted and got on. You can have all the hits you want, but if you don’t string them together and have a big inning like that; if you have six or seven hits but one an inning, you’re not going to score many runs. Luckily we put three or four hits together in that one inning and that really helped us out to score those three runs.”
The Lady Dogs racked up nine hits in the game. Karis Ginn, Natalie Garcia, and Raeghan Carlson each collected multiple hits for Thorndale. Karis Ginn was on the mound for Thorndale. She allowed two hits and one run over seven innings, striking out seven.
“She threw 3 or 4 change ups for strikes too, which is always good to keep hitters off balance,” Betak said. “If you keep throwing the ball the same speed every time, and they get your timing, then you’re going to get hit. But whenever you can change that speed and slow it down like that, it really helps keep them off balance and not just let sit there and get your timing very well.”
The Lady Dogs then went on the road to take on the Bartlett Lady Bulldogs. Thorndale would shut out Bartlett and continued their hot streak, winning 12-0 in five innings. Thorndale will not play Friday as it will be their scheduled off day.
Their next action will be on Tuesday, March 21, when they host the Rosebud-Lott Lady Cougars. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.