Hawk softball run rules Wildcats

by John Lucas | Mar 8, 2019 | Articles, Triton

Gracyn Slaughter delivers a pitch for the Hawks on Thursday night.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)

Hot hitting powered Triton to an 11-1 varsity softball win in six innings over visiting West Johnston on Thursday.

“Hitting’s contagious,” said Triton coach Mark Whitman. “We hit the ball one through nine tonight, for the most part. That’s what we’ve got to do. Ella Layn hit it well. Hit it the best I’ve ever seen her. I hope that’s a confidence booster for her. I thought Mackenzie (Reid) hit the ball hard tonight, just sometimes hit it right at somebody. And Reagan Bradham, freshman, 4-for-4. What can I ask for? When you hit it all the way through the lineup, that’s what it’s about. The biggest thing tonight was the way we hit the ball and that’s Triton softball. That’s the way I expect for us to hit it every game.”

Sophomore Gracyn Slaughter pitched the complete game win for the Hawks (1-1), yielding no earned runs on three hits, one walk and one hit batter, with three strikeouts.

“She pitched well enough to win and defensively I thought we played well,” Whitman said.

Freshman Reagan Bradham was a perfect 4-for-4, including a double, with one RBI and three runs scored, and senior Ella Layn had three hits, including a double, three RBIs and two runs scored to lead Triton offensively.

Alexis Howard had three hits and one RBI. Slaughter had two hits and two runs scored. Brittany Ireland had a home run, three RBIs and one run scored. Mackenzie Reid had one hit and one RBI. Kaila Cooney had two RBIs and one run scored. Mikaylee Flowers and Kimah Warren scored one run apiece.

All nine batters in Triton’s lineup reached base at least once, with seven recording at least one base hit.

Savannah Craft had a double and one run scored and Anna Barbour and Caitlin Young had one hit apiece for the Wildcats (1-1).

After a scoreless first inning, West threatened in the top of the second by loading the bases with one out. But a force out at the plate and a ground out to short retired the side with no damage done.

Bradham was the lone Hawk with a base hit through the first two innings, but Triton’s bats came to life in the bottom of the third. Layn reached on an error, Flowers was hit by a pitch and Howard singled to load the bases with one out. Layn scored when Cooney hit into a fielder’s choice that saw Howard forced out at second. Ireland cleared the center field fence with her second home run of the season to bring Flowers and Cooney home. Slaughter doubled and Warren, her courtesy runner, scored on a base hit from Bradham, who took third when Reid reached on an error and scored on a base hit from Layn.

Slaughter and Bradham led off the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles and Layn doubled to score Slaughter. Tatiana Muniz walked to load the bases before Howard singled to score Bradham and Cooney walked to score Layn.

West scored its lone run in the top of the sixth when Craft doubled and scored when Anna Barbour reached on an error. A second error on the play advanced Barbour to third. But on a ground ball to third, Cooney threw to Reid on first for a force out and Reid threw home in time for Ireland, the catcher, to tag out Barbour.

Slaughter walked to lead off the bottom of the sixth and took third on a Bradham double. Slaughter scored on a base hit from Reid and Bradham scored on a base hit from Layn to end the game on the 10-run rule.

Weather permitting, Triton will host rival South Johnston Friday for a game postponed from Tuesday due to the school being without water Tuesday.

“Hopefully, if we can get it in tomorrow, we can hit it again like that,” Whitman said. “There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to hit like that against South. But we’ll have to play. They’ll come ready to play.”