Playing for the third time in as many days, William Monroe’s softball team picked up a third straight win, this time relying on solid pitching and defense in a 2-1 win over Orange County to cap off a busy week that saw the Dragons off a counter to a 7-6 over those same Hornets and a 7-4 win over Monticello the day before.
“Our defense played great and Hailie Lamb, that’s the first complete game pitching for us in two years,” said Monroe coach Greg Breeden. “The pitch count ran up on her late but she had a 4-pitch inning and an 8-pitch inning so that really helped. She’s an elder statesmen so it’s great for her, we really threw her into the fire as a freshman. She’s come through over the years and there might be other pitchers with nastier stuff but Hailey is so consistent with her stuff, knows how to locate and keep the ball from getting out of the park and does a great job for us.”
There was plenty of drama late in the second meeting with Monroe taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth. The rally started with Laced Beale reaching on an error and then Jessica Ford getting on base with a walk. That led to Emma Pickett coming up with a 2-run single.
“Orange has beat us at least once every year since I’ve been on the team,” Lamb said. “That’s our last game with them for the seniors so we’re pretty happy Emma came up with that hit.”
Orange answered in kind by loading the bases in the top of the seventh. Monroe starter Hailie Lamb worked her way out of it, but not without some sweat. The Hornets made it 2-1 after Hannah Meadows picked up an RBI groundout. Lamb closed the door after that with a strikeout to end the game.
“My two seam fastball was breakout out today and it was making for a lot of pop flies for the defense,” Lamb said. “The change-up started finally working late in the game and that made things easier on me. I tried to push through and adjust, I got nervous in that last inning but my team got me through it, my change-up got me through it.”
It was the second big spot that Lamb worked her way out of as she had a bases loaded situation in the third with one out but with a strikeout and flyout the Dragons went into the bottom of the third still scoreless.
“For 85 percent of the team, this is the first week of varsity experience so we’re young and working through it but we’re going to be okay, I like a lot of what I see,” said Orange coach Neal Ferguson.
For Orange it was a tough loss that saw starter Chloe Kinkopf give up just one hit in three innings to mar a great start. But with the Hornets replacing seven seniors from last year, a pair of 1-run losses to a strong Monroe team where the game was just one play away in both from being different isn’t the worst spot to be in to start the year.
“Chloe did a great job, she has a lot of spin,” Ferguson said. “She’s pitching along with Hannah Meadows and they’re both quality. To be a better team behind them we just need those consecutive hits, those timely hits. We’ll get there.”
