Photo credit – Kelly Hawks
Coach Rick Nester watches Holly Miller scamper home on a passed ball during an at bat by Isabella Norman.
STUART – At the close of last season Carroll County Head Coach was describing his line up his next team as eight players were graduating. Going from position to position he repeated the thought about just how young the 2023 – 2024 team was going to be.
Fast forwarding to the end of the teams eighth straight victory, a convincing 9-0 contest against a talented Three Rivers District opponent in Patrick County, Coach Nester had a new thought process.
” I will tell you something, these girls can play ball!,” said Nester. ” Top of the lineup to the bottom, they can play ball.”
Addie Greene had a sensational game, both as the Cavalier lead off hitter and at short stop. Greene went 3 of 5 at the plate with three runs scored and one RBI while making four plays in the field, including a catch of a line drive that she turned into a double play in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Holly Miller appears to be getting faster, to the point Nester should worry about track Coach Shawn Montgomery hearing about her speed. Miller, hitting in the nine hole went 3 for 3 with a walk.
Miller used her speed in the field as well, tracking down to fly balls in centerfield and almost making a highlight reel catch on one of the three hits allowed by Emma Leath.
Leath (8-0) went the distance in the shutout, allowing just four base runners on the three hits and one hit by pitch. The Senior finished the night with eight strikeouts after getting two strikes on what appeared to be all 24 Lady Cougars that came to the plate.
Leath now sits just six strikeouts away from becoming the second hurler in the history of the program to record 600 as Cavalier. The next opportunity should come Monday when the team hosts Grayson County.
Emma Harman collected two hits in her three official at bats plus reached base after taking a pitch off her foot. For the second straight game Harman and Laiken Burnett teamed up to record an out on a ground ball hit between them with Harman covering first base to take the throw.
Katherine Lindamood crossed home plate twice after reaching base on a fielders choice and a single. As a team the Cavaliers outfit their hosts 10-3 and ran those 10 hits into nine runs, efficiently as possible.
The four run top of the third inning was highlighted by Greene sending a laser to the gap that the speedster turned into a triple. Miller had opened the game clinching rally with a bunt single and the site of that combination circling the bases was enough the make their veteran Coach smile.
As Coach said earlier, these girls can play and some of than can fly while doing it.
Patrick County took the JV game by a final score of 9-2 after the Varsity Coach spent just shy of 10 hours getting the field in shape to play.
Both Carroll County teams return to The Hill on Monday night to host the Blue Devils.
