Hixson pitches way to win over Baylor

Hixson seemed to have a slight edge when it came to being first to figure out the strikezone in its high school softball game against Baylor.

As a result, the Lady Wildcats managed to edge the Lady Red Raiders 2-1 on Wednesday at Hixson.

If liberties were given on strikes, it was around the outside area of home plate. Going opposite field with the pitch, or hitting it through the middle, proved to be beneficial for the Lady Wildcats, who nine hits in the six innings they batted.

“We’re really working on hitting strikes this year,” Hixson coach Janet Tate said. “Last year in the sectional against Greenbrier, we just couldn’t lay off the riseball. I thought we did a nice job tonight of hitting strikes.”

Winning pitcher Dawon Millwood had eight strikeouts and caught Lady Raiders looking at strike three on four of her first five.

“Early in the game we were struggling,” Baylor coach Kelli Smith said. “We were trying to figure out the strikezone and took a lot of pitches. As a spectator it probably looked like I was giving the take sign a lot. We just weren’t real aggressive swinging the bats. Later, in the sixth and seventh innings, we were able to get runners in scoring position, so we at least gave ourselves a chance to tie.”

Hixson (5-0) scored in the first inning on Whitney Galloway’s double to right-center. Galloway hit a line drive each time she went to the plate and ended up 3-for-3 with two doubles.

Baylor (6-2) might could’ve turned a double play on a one-hopper earlier in the inning, but the throw ended up getting an out at first base instead of going to second first.

A grounder in the third drove in the tie-breaking run on a play in which there was no throw home, but instead one to first that retired Millwood.

“I know we made three or four mental mistakes,” Smith said. “Fortunately two or three of them didn’t hurt us. We just didn’t have any communication like we should have.”

Tate said the Lady Wildcats had a similar problem. Sam Everett poked an 0-2 pitch on the outer edge of the plate through the right side of the infield in the top of the third with Alex Card on second base. Instead of going to the plate to possibly hold Card at third, the throw from the outfield trying to get Everett out at first base was late.

Galloway eventually threw home, but not before Card slid safely across the plate.

“The other infielders should’ve been telling Whitney to take the throw home,” Tate said. “I think if they had been screaming, ‘Four, four, four,’ it might’ve frozen the kid. I was not pleased with our communication. I haven’t been for a while.”

Lauren Bray went 2-for-3 for the Lady Wildcats and Ruth Blowe went 2-for-4. Bray scored Hixson’s first run, and Porschia Johnson doubled and scored the other.

Card and Everett each reached base safely four times with a double included. Millwood allowed seven hits and three walks — two to Everett and one to Card.

Claire Hufstetler was struck with a line drive in Soddy-Daisy’s Lady Trojan Invitational over the weekend and did not pitch. Smith said her senior right-hander will be evaluated day to day.