Olivia Garman pitches in the Botetourt Bash on Saturday.
The Craig County softball team suffered through a tough week last week. The Rockets battled illness, depression over a lost friend and inclement weather as they went 0-4 on the week after opening the season with two wins.
The week opened with an 8-0 loss to Auburn. Rocket ace Olivia Garman pitched despite battling “strep throat.” Keiley Dudding had the only hit in the loss.
“Auburn is pretty good but they’re not good enough to beat us 8-0,” said Craig coach Trent Lipes.
The “Botetourt Bash” was scheduled for Friday and Saturday. However, Friday’s games were rained out and then the girls learned a former classmate, Bridgett Oliver, had been killed in a car accident Friday night. Still, the Rockets showed up with just nine varsity players on Saturday morning for a rescheduled 10 am game at the Botetourt Sports Complex.
“Their minds were elsewhere, we had several missing and several others playing sick,” said Lipes. “I called a girl up from the jayvee team to sit on the bench just in case we needed her.”
The Rockets lost the morning game, 4-1, to Galax. Garman, still feeling somewhat under the weather, battled the Maroon Tide but didn’t get much bat support. Craig had three hits, one each by Garman, Tierrney Zysk and Hannah Lipes.
In the afternoon game the Rockets dropped a 6-5 extra inning game to Holston. It was tied 4-4 after the regulation seven innings and Craig scored a run in the top of the eighth. However, Holston rallied for two in the bottom of the inning to pull out the win.
Craig had eight hits in this one, including two each by Garman and Lipes. Kaylee Pauley drove in a run.
The final game of the day matched Craig against Tazewell, and the Rockets dropped a 5-1 decision. Pauley had two hits and Mackenzie Hutchinson drove in Craig’s run.
“We had girls playing with the flu,” said Lipes. “If we had all our starters we would have beat all of them.”
Now 2-4, the Rockets had a Tuesday game with Bath postponed due to Oliver’s funeral in New Castle. The girls are scheduled to host Auburn on Thursday and next week they’re off for spring break, returning for a tournament at Brookville High on April 15.
