The Craig County girls opened the softball season last week with two completely different results. The Rockets opened with a 20-1 loss at Glenvar, then turned things around for a 23-5 win at Bland County.
“Glenvar was a rough game,” said Rocket coach Elaina WolfeCarper. “On top of them out-hitting us, we also just gave up way too many walks and couldn’t get our bats going that night. They have a great pitcher.”
After spotting Glenvar three runs in the first inning the Highlanders exploded for 11 in the bottom of the second. Glenvar finished with 20 runs on 10 hits as Craig pitchers walked a dozen and were saddled with 11 unearned runs of the 20 total. Neveah Hypes started on the mound and took the loss with Annalese Zimmerman pitching the last two frames.
Craig had just two hits against Glenvar ace Abby Teubert, who struck out 12. Jenna Boitnotte and Morgan Underwood had hits for Craig.
On Thursday it was an entirely different story as the girls picked up their first win in Bland. This was a 3-3 ballgame through four innings but the Rockets hung a crooked 9 on the board in the top of the fifth, then scored nine more in the seventh to win going away.
Craig outhit the Bears 17-3, led by four hits and four runs batted in for Boitnotte. Daileigh Donithan, Layla Dooley, Aleah Owens, Natalie Fisher and Hypes had two hits each and Kallie Fisher and Donithan, the first two hitters in the order, scored four runs each.
Boitnotte pitched the first two innings and Hypes came on in the third to finish out and pick up the win. Neveah fanned nine and allowed just two hits in five innings.
“The girls really struggled to adjust to their pitcher and made careless mistakes on defense,” said WolfeCarper. “However, they pulled it together and showed a lot of discipline in the box. I was very pleased with their hitting and they also settled in on defense, not letting mistakes get them down or pile up.”
Now 1-1, the Rockets will host Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy for their home opener next Monday. Then, a day later, Eastern Montgomery will be here for Craig’s Pioneer District debut.
