Vina sweeps Phillips
After a rough start to the season, a Vina softball team that has been in rebuilding mode posted three straight wins recently. Vina posted two area wins over Phillips 8-2 and 11-6 and also defeated the Winston County Yellow Jackets 8-2.
“We’ve had two starters out due to injury,” said Vina softball coach Richie Hester. “We have probably had ten or more different fielding and batting lineups this season. It is hard for a small school to lose as many players as we have and still compete.”
Hester credits his team’s cohesiveness for their improvement throughout the season.
“These girls have really come together and gelled,” said Hester, whose team picked up their seventh win of the season and moved ahead of Phillips in the area standings. “We are playing the best softball we have played all season.”
Vina 8, Phillips 2
Trailing 1-0 in the first inning, Vina played small-ball as Abby Hester walked, stole second base and moved to third on a wild pitch. Hester scored on a sacrifice bunt by Maddie Raper. Kaitlyn King walked and Erica Cantrell reached base on a fielder’s choice. Both runners scored on a two-RBI single by Baylee Hutcheson to give Vina a 3-1 lead.
Phillips cut Vina’s lead to 3-2 in the third inning.
In the bottom of the fourth inning Hester led off with a single. Hester moved into scoring position by stealing second and third base. Raper reached base on a walk and stole second base to give the Red Devils two runners in scoring position. Hester and Raper scored on a two-RBI double by King to give Vina a 5-2 lead. King scored on an RBI shot off the outfield fence to give Vina a 6-2 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Sarah “Scooter” Johnson led off with a bunt. Hester followed with another bunt. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and ended up scoring to give Vina the 8-2 win.
Vina 11, Phillips 6
Vina found themselves in a familiar position in game two of the series – having to come from behind to win. Phillips scored two runs in the top of the first to grab an early lead.
Raper scored on an RBI-single by senior Cantrell, and in the bottom of the second, Vina took the lead as Johnson walked and Hester bunted for a hit. Raper got one run in, and Hester scored on an error.
Phillips took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Vina seventh grader Hailey Cantrell walked and Johnson bunted for a hit. Both runners scored on a single by Hester. Hester scored on an RBI bunt by Raper, who scored on an RBI-double by Anna Belle Upton.
Phillips scored two more runs in the top of the fifth to retake the lead from Vina 7-6.
Greta Raper led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk but had to leave the game due to an injury. She was replaced by Hannah Johnson, who would score on an RBI-single by Raper.
Hester scored on a fielder’s choice. Raper scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Baylee Hutcheson to give Vina a 10-6 lead.
Johnson scored Vina’s final run on an RBI-single by Hester.
Cantrell was the winning pitcher in both games for Vina.
Vina 8, Winston County 2
Vina was able to pick up another win last week against the Winston County Yellow Jackets 8-2.
Hester got things going for the Red Devils in the bottom of the first inning. After a leadoff walk, she stole two bases and scored on a hit King. Cantrell singled and stole second base. King and Cantrell both scored on a hit by Upton.
In the bottom of the third, Cantrell singled again and eventually scored on a sacrifice by Ashleigh Thompson. Vina led 4-0 going into the fourth inning, and Hester scored on an RBI-double by King.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Raper walked and advanced to second on a stolen base. King singled to put two runners on base before Cantrell roped an RBI-double to give Vina an 8-0 lead.
Winston County picked up their two runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Cantrell was the winning pitcher for the Red Devils.
