Soddy-Daisy has a message. It’s not only for fellow District 5-AAA softball teams but for Class AAA teams statewide.
“We’re coming for everybody,” shortstop Alex Everett said. “We’re heading to state.”
The Lady Trojans came through Ooltewah on Thursday and left after handing the Lady Owls a 15-0 five-inning whipping in the opening district game for both teams.
“We didn’t make it to state last year,” Soddy-Daisy coach Clifford Kirk said. “They’ve been mad ever since.”
Getting a break from playing on their home field where fences are 225 feet from home plate, Nos. 3 and 4 batters Everett and Kali Henderson had two home runs apiece in Soddy-Daisy’s 20-hit attack. Would any have landed over the fence where they play at Soddy Lake Kids’ Park?
“It would’ve been close,” said Henderson, who finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
The game Thursday wasn’t close after 13 Lady Trojans came to bat during an eight-run third inning. Kirk went to his bench liberally after that, and his substitutes wound up a combined 7-for-10.
Emily Bice and Morgan Bailey paced the reserves with 2-for-2 showings. Bice had an RBI double and a sacrifice fly and scored twice.
“Everybody knew we had a lot of good girls coming back, and we’ve had a lot of good young kids come in this year,” Kirk said. “We’re going to play a lot of these other girls this year.”
Everett, who also had a sacrifice fly, totaled four RBIs and three runs scored. Second baseman Andie Johnson went 2-for-2 with an RBI and run scored, and right fielder Brooke Ward hit a two-run double and a sacrifice fly before they were taken out. Cassidy Hackney had two infield hits, drove in one run and scored another.
“My kids have been putting the bat on the ball,” Kirk said. “That’s all there is to it.”
Kirk speculated that his players may have done a better job than some others of adjusting to the new 43-foot distance from the pitching rubber to the plate. That also goes for his pitchers.
Right-hander Kelsey Nunley, who Kirk said worked on pitching twice a week while she was on the basketball team, threw the first four innings against Ooltewah (1-1, 0-1). She gave up one hit and had seven strikeouts. She walked three and hit one.
“Her ball is moving even more now,” Kirk said, “so some of them are probably getting out of the strike zone.”
Nunley hit Lady Owls starting pitcher Taylor Baird in the bottom of the first on her pitching forearm. She was removed from the game at the start of the third.
Sara Kelley filled the role of designated player against Soddy-Daisy (2-0, 1-0) because she has a shoulder injury that’s preventing her from playing shortstop. After drawing her second walk, she aggravated the injury diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt and was taken out before her scheduled at-bat in the fifth.
The Lady Owls were already playing without Morgan Sullivan, one of their top hitters a year ago. She suffered a broken leg a few weeks ago in a non-softball-related accident.