SJ softball downs Vikings, 10-2

by John Lucas | Apr 12, 2018 | Articles, South Johnston

Courtney Garris drives in a pair of runs for South Johnston.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)

South Johnston bounced back from a narrow 4-3 loss to Greater Neuse 3-A Conference rival West Johnston Tuesday by taking a 10-2 non-conference win over visiting Union Pines on Wednesday night.

“I felt like the girls were focused from the very beginning from the time they got here,” said South coach Amanda Smith. “That was the main thing. We didn’t play bad last night. We just didn’t execute with runners in scoring position. Tonight, we made things happen in those situations. I think mentally we were in a better place and more confident.”

Sophomore Savannah Lockamy pitched the complete game to take the win for the Trojans (7-4), giving up no earned runs on six hits and four walks, with two strikeouts.

“Awesome seven innings,” Smith said. “She’s pitching well. The main thing is just maintaining composure and doing one thing at a time and not trying to do too much.”

Senior Courtney Garris had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored. Lockamy had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs.

Kandis Adams had two hits, including a double, and two runs scored. Katie Mitchell had one hit and one RBI. Bethany Jackson had one hit and one run scored. Mackenzie Honeycutt had one hit. Kelly Dorman had two RBIs and two runs scored. Koler Ellis had one RBI and one run scored. Carmen Keene had one RBI. Emma Jernigan scored twice. Kyndal Woodard scored once.

“The main thing that came from last night was, ‘It’s one opportunity. One pitch. One play. One,’” Smith said. “It only takes one and you’re not going to win on one, so it’s a total team effort tonight.”

Freshman Kaitlyn Richardson had two hits and one RBI to lead the Vikings (5-9).

The Vikings took the early lead when Angel Johnson led off the game with a hit, stole second and third and scored on an error.

Dorman walked, Ellis reached on an error and Garris bunt singled to load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the second inning. Lockamy then drew a walk to score Dorman to tie the game. After Mitchell hit into a fielder’s choice that saw Ellis forced out at home, Garris scored on a wild pitch and Jackson, running for Lockamy, scored on a sacrifice fly from Keene to put South ahead 3-1.

Adams and Honeycutt both singled to lead off the bottom of the third. After Adams and Jernigan, running for Honeycutt, advanced on a wild pitch, Adams scored on a sacrifice fly from Dorman and Jernigan scored when Ellis reached on a fielder’s choice with no out recorded. Ellis took third on a Lockamy double and scored on a hit from Mitchell.

Kaley Evans reached on an error, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Richardson sacrifice fly for Union Pines in the top of the fourth.

South sent the entire order to the plate in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs on two hits, two walks and an error.

Union Pines loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth, but South got out of the jam with a ground ball to Keene, at third.

The Vikings loaded bases with two outs again in the seventh, but Lockamy rallied with a strikeout. Honeycutt, the catcher, was unable to catch the strikeout pitch, but blocked and easily recovered the ball before stepping on home plate for the force out to end the game.

“That (getting out of bases loaded situations with no runs scored twice) comes from being competitors,” Smith said. “That’s the mindset I want them to be in. You have to have the mindset that you’re going to shut someone down or you’re going to get the next big hit or you’re going to make the next big play. I felt like in those situations that’s where our heads were.”

South Johnston returns to conference play at West Johnston tonight (Thursday, April 12).