J.R. Tidwell/FCT
Bailey Clark (11) of the Belgreen Lady Bulldogs fires one out of the pitcher’s circle against the Phillips She-Bears Monday afternoon in Belgreen. She pitched all three innings and gave up only two runs.

BELGREEN — The Belgreen Lady Bulldogs varsity softball team is extremely young this season.

The vast majority (if not all) of the players on the 2013 roster are sophomores or younger.

Despite their youth, the Lady Bulldogs put on an offensive clinic with their 18-2 win over the Phillips She-Bears Monday afternoon.

By the end of the first inning the score was 12-0. Belgreen batted for so long in the first that over half an hour passed before the second inning started.

Batting around is usually the best performance a team can make at the plate in a game, but Belgreen went one step beyond in this one.

The Lady Bulldogs did not just bat around in the first inning, Abby Hester, Shellie Barber and Allyson Bragwell all touched home plate twice before Phillips recorded three outs.

Bailey Clark, Courtney Williams, Skylar Nelson, Anna Grace Humphres, Nicole Borden and Kylie Murray also reached home during the big inning for Belgreen.

The She-Bears were unable to answer in the top of the second, so the score remained 12-0 going into the bottom of the inning.

Monday was much warmer than the vast majority of days have been this month.

That may have been the motivation for the Lady Bulldogs to end the game early.

No matter what the reason, the Lady Bulldogs made sure the game would end early in the bottom of the second.

Humphres, Borden, Hester,Barber, Bragwell and Murray all touched home plate once again, putting Belgreen ahead 18-0.

This gave the team from Bear Creek only one more chance at the plate to improve its standing in the game.

The She-Bears did manage to pick up two runs, but any further comeback was quelled, and the Lady Bulldogs got to mark their schedule with a 16-run region victory after only two and a half innings.

Hester, Barber and Bragwell each scored three runs in the lopsided event, and those three along with Murray and Williams each had two hits in the game.

Clark pitched all three innings for Belgreen. She gave up two runs on four hits with no strikeouts and no walks.

“A couple of things helped us in this game,” Belgreen head coach Richie Hester said. “In the games we’ve won, we played good defense.

“Bailey stepped up for us this year when Laken [Bragwell] couldn’t play, and she’s coming along.

“These girls listen, they have good attitudes and they’re good at running the bases.

“Abby Hester has 25 stolen bases, Shellie Barber has 15 and Allyson Bragwell has 13. The rest of the team has 12 between them.

“Shellie [Barber] is batting over .500 right now, too. So is Kylie Murray. These players are all young, but they’re playing great.”

The Lady Bulldogs (6-2) will host region foe Hackleburg Monday.