NEW MARKET — Fountain Central swept a double-header from Southmont softball in 2019.
It was a turning point in what ended up as a sectional title winning team for the Mounties, but even two years later those returning players still remembered the pair of defeats and had their chance for redemption on Thursday night.
And they took full advantage of it — scoring runs in each at-bat to beat Fountain Central 16-6 in six innings.
“We talked about it,” Southmont coach Dan Taylor said. “The girls that were there and we knew Fountain Central would come to play. They play like they have nothing to lose and they come at you and come at you. This was a big game for our girls. We didn’t feel like we played our best game two years ago. The girls remembered it and we talked about it for a year.”
The Mounties (3-3) pounded out 13 hits in the win and took a 10-2 run after three innings, including a seven-run third.
“We’ve got to stay out of the big inning,” Fountain Central coach Ric Walke said. “That’s a good ball club and they hit the ball well too. I thought Kacy (Kirkpatrick) walked a couple too many, but she fought and stayed in there. And we made some good plays defensively.”
Fountain Central didn’t commit an error, while the Mounties had just one miscue — an early season Achilles Heel for Southmont, until a defensive change earlier this week.
“We are trying to find the right combination of things, and our girls have played much better defense,” Taylor said. “Overall the defensive allignment we have now the girls are doing better and maybe a little more comfortable at each position.”
Hanna Nichols led the Mounties offensively with three hits and a pair of RBI. Macie Shirk and Emily Conkright each had a pair of hits along with Abbey Gass and Chelsea Veatch. Shirk picked up the win, allowing six runs in six hits, while walking three and striking out 10.
Trailing 13-2, Fountain Central battled back with four runs in the fifth to keep the game alive. After Haley Webb and Hannah Wood walked to lead off the inning, Marley Massey and Chloe Golia each came up with big hits. Golia also had a solo home run in the third inning.
“The top of our order, we’ve really worked on not carrying over the next at-bat,” Walke said. They might strikeout, but they get in the box for the next at-bat and it’s a new at-bat. And I think Chloe showed that. She struck-out the first time up and then hit the home run her next time up. She left the first at-bat in the dugout and came up and had solid contact and hit a good ball. That’s her third of the year already.”
Fountain Central is at Faith Christian tonight, while Southmont is at Parke Heritage on Monday.
