Blue Devils softball pick up a pair of wins
West Memphis softball halts skid with blowouts of Blytheville, Forrest City
By RALPH HARDIN
ralphhardin@gmail.com
The West Memphis Blue Devils softball team was able to snap a five-game losing streak and break back into the win column with a pair of run-rule wins on the road.
Devils 19, Chicks 0
BLYTHEVILLE — After dropping back-to-back doubleheaders against Greene County Tech and Searcy and a single game to Palestine- Wheatley, the Blue Devils bats came to life last Friday as West Memphis pounced on Blytheville, winning 19-0 in a three-inning mercy rule contest on the road.
Jordyn Hightower pitched a shutout, striking out five Chicks and only allowing a single hit. Hightower also also got it done with the bat, with a hit and a walk, scoring twice.
Catcher Kayla Shaull provided the offensive highlight of the night in the second inning, blasting a home run, her second of the season.
Coach Mike Dobbins quickly rotated in several of the junior varsity Devils, allowing everyone to get in on the hit parade before the game was called due to the Devils’ large lead.
Devils 18, Mustangs 3
It was more of the same for West Memphis as the team headed down I-40 to play the Forrest City Mustangs.
Again, it was all Blue Devils from the start. Terra Hardin led off the game with one of the two singles she would hit in the first inning, scoring both times as part of a 12-run inning for West Memphis that saw the team send 16 batters to the plate.
From there, it was cruise control for pitcher Haley Williams who gave up only one hit, walking four and hitting two.
Forrest City’s pitching struggled to keep the West Memphis batters off the bases. Even after Coach Dobbins sent in the subs once again, the Devils kept adding on, scoring five more times in the second inning and a lone run off a bases loaded walk in the third.
Forrest City finally got on the board against what was basically the JV lineup in the third inning, scoring three times. But West Memphis took home the win with an 18-3 run-rule win.
West Memphis (9-12 overall, 1-7 5A East) looks to finish their season strong with a game against Carlisle on Thursday before completing their run through 5A East conference play over the next two Tuesdays against Nettleton and Paragould.
West Memphis catcher Kayla Shaull picked up her second home run of the season against Blytheville.
Photo by Ralph Hardin
