Pitching evades Lady Cycs in 21-2 loss to Ridgecroft
By Jimmy Lewis
Staff Writer
The Community Christian School softball team struggled mightily to get pitches across the plate in Monday’s nonconference game with Ridgecroft School.
Meanwhile, the Lady Rams were serviceable in attacking the strike zone and getting the Lady Cyclones to put the ball in play.
That stark contrast in the most primal area of the game allowed Ridgecroft to tally 21 runs on just one hit and easily post a 21-2 win in three innings.
CCS, a member of the 1-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, dropped its sixth straight game without a win. Due to a lack of sponsoring teams, the CPIC does not hold a championship or a regular-season schedule.
“We’re struggling with our pitching,” first-year CCS coach Linwood Rollins said.
Unfortunately for the Lady Cyclones, that was an understatement Monday afternoon. In the three-inning affair, the 1-A Tarheel Independent Conference Lady Rams (6-2) cashed in on 20 walks and eight hit batters to help build a lead.
Ridgecroft posted nine runs in the first, eight more in the second and four more in the third before the game was halted after three innings due to the 15-run mercy rule. The only hit allowed by CCS pitching was a run-scoring single in the top of the first by Ridgecroft’s Mackenzie Brown. However, that was easily overshadowed by 16 of the 21 Lady Ram runs scoring via the wild pitch. Innings at the plate for the visitors from Ahoskie were mercifully ended by runners stepping off the bases prior to a pitch being released, which occurred on four of CCS’s nine defensive outs.
CCS catcher Kirsten Pierce was forced to be abnormally active behind the plate. So much so, that the home-plate umpire granted time simply so she could trot into the dugout for water.
Further summing up the proceedings in a painful fashion for the Lady Cyclones was a pitch from the circle sailing completely over the top of the backstop in the second inning. Ridgecroft batted around in each of the first two innings, and only avoided doing so in the third after stepping off the bases for the last two outs of the half inning.
“It gets to a certain point,” Ridgecroft coach Jon Northcott said. “I’ve been on both sides of the situation. It gets to a point where it’s really not fun. You have to look out for the other team and the respect for them. We didn’t get a good chance to hit a lot today and didn’t see a lot of good pitches. But, we played good defense for the most part.”
Rollins appreciated the professional courtesy.
“I as a coach would do the same thing,” he said of leaving the bases early. “I look for the same respect out of other coaches that just to run away with the game. There’s a lot of scenarios you can do; you can do a lot of practice. You can do game situations. We’ve got bases loaded, I want you to bunt the ball. You can kind of control a game that way.”
Offensively, the Lady Cyclones outhit Ridgecroft 3-1 and posted its two runs in the bottom of the first.
Anna Jackson led off with a flare single down the right-field line and moved to second when Sarah Pierce, the losing pitcher, was hit by a Ruthie Daniels offering. Lexi Gardner walked to load the bases with no one out, and Kirsten Pierce steered a two-run single to right field to trim the deficit to 9-2.
Sarah Pierce doubled to the gap in right center in the bottom of the third before Daniels retired the next three CCS hitters she faced.
Daniels struck out two and walked two, with both of her runs being earned. Each team was guilty of one error. Gardner relieved Sarah Pierce in the second before returning the pitching duties later in the inning.
CCS remains home Tuesday to face New Life Christian.
jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter: @JimmyLewisWT
Score by innings:
Ridgecroft984—21
CCS200—2
WP-Ruthie Daniels 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO. LP-Sarah Pierce.
LEADING HITTERS — Ridgecroft: Mackenzie Brown: 1-1, RBI. Community Christian: Kirsten Pierce 1-2, 2 RBIs; Sarah Pierce 1-1, 2B; Anna Jackson 1-2.
By Jimmy Lewis
Staff Writer
The Community Christian School softball team struggled mightily to get pitches across the plate in Monday’s nonconference game with Ridgecroft School.
Meanwhile, the Lady Rams were serviceable in attacking the strike zone and getting the Lady Cyclones to put the ball in play.
That stark contrast in the most primal area of the game allowed Ridgecroft to tally 21 runs on just one hit and easily post a 21-2 win in three innings.
CCS, a member of the 1-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, dropped its sixth straight game without a win. Due to a lack of sponsoring teams, the CPIC does not hold a championship or a regular-season schedule.
“We’re struggling with our pitching,” first-year CCS coach Linwood Rollins said.
Unfortunately for the Lady Cyclones, that was an understatement Monday afternoon. In the three-inning affair, the 1-A Tarheel Independent Conference Lady Rams (6-2) cashed in on 20 walks and eight hit batters to help build a lead.
Ridgecroft posted nine runs in the first, eight more in the second and four more in the third before the game was halted after three innings due to the 15-run mercy rule. The only hit allowed by CCS pitching was a run-scoring single in the top of the first by Ridgecroft’s Mackenzie Brown. However, that was easily overshadowed by 16 of the 21 Lady Ram runs scoring via the wild pitch. Innings at the plate for the visitors from Ahoskie were mercifully ended by runners stepping off the bases prior to a pitch being released, which occurred on four of CCS’s nine defensive outs.
CCS catcher Kirsten Pierce was forced to be abnormally active behind the plate. So much so, that the home-plate umpire granted time simply so she could trot into the dugout for water.
Further summing up the proceedings in a painful fashion for the Lady Cyclones was a pitch from the circle sailing completely over the top of the backstop in the second inning. Ridgecroft batted around in each of the first two innings, and only avoided doing so in the third after stepping off the bases for the last two outs of the half inning.
“It gets to a certain point,” Ridgecroft coach Jon Northcott said. “I’ve been on both sides of the situation. It gets to a point where it’s really not fun. You have to look out for the other team and the respect for them. We didn’t get a good chance to hit a lot today and didn’t see a lot of good pitches. But, we played good defense for the most part.”
Rollins appreciated the professional courtesy.
“I as a coach would do the same thing,” he said of leaving the bases early. “I look for the same respect out of other coaches that just to run away with the game. There’s a lot of scenarios you can do; you can do a lot of practice. You can do game situations. We’ve got bases loaded, I want you to bunt the ball. You can kind of control a game that way.”
Offensively, the Lady Cyclones outhit Ridgecroft 3-1 and posted its two runs in the bottom of the first.
Anna Jackson led off with a flare single down the right-field line and moved to second when Sarah Pierce, the losing pitcher, was hit by a Ruthie Daniels offering. Lexi Gardner walked to load the bases with no one out, and Kirsten Pierce steered a two-run single to right field to trim the deficit to 9-2.
Sarah Pierce doubled to the gap in right center in the bottom of the third before Daniels retired the next three CCS hitters she faced.
Daniels struck out two and walked two, with both of her runs being earned. Each team was guilty of one error. Gardner relieved Sarah Pierce in the second before returning the pitching duties later in the inning.
CCS remains home Tuesday to face New Life Christian.
jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter: @JimmyLewisWT
Score by innings:
Ridgecroft984—21
CCS200—2
WP-Ruthie Daniels 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO. LP-Sarah Pierce.
LEADING HITTERS — Ridgecroft: Mackenzie Brown: 1-1, RBI. Community Christian: Kirsten Pierce 1-2, 2 RBIs; Sarah Pierce 1-1, 2B; Anna Jackson 1-2.
