Possibly the best cure for a losing streak is beginning a winning streak, and Senatobia softball has done just that recently.
Beginning with last Thursday’s 20-10 win against Center Hill, the Lady Warriors have embarked on a four-game winning streak, defeating Olive Branch and Oxford last Saturday, and Strayhorn earlier this week.
In its win against Center Hill, Senatobia and the Lady Mustangs combined for 30 hits, with 20 of those coming from SHS. A scoreless top of the first inning soon gave way to a six-run bottom of the first from the Lady Warriors, highlighted by a trio of RBI-doubles from Emily Wilson, Mady Bozant and Bethany Ward.
Center Hill responded with three runs of its own in the top of the second, but a whopping nine-run output in the bottom half of the second kept Senatobia ahead for good. Leading 15-3 entering the fourth inning, the Lady Warriors surrendered six runs to the Lady Mustangs, only to add two in the home half of the fourth, stretching the lead to 17-9.
Though Center Hill added one more run in the top of the fifth, Senatobia countered with three in the bottom of the same inning, sealing the wild 20-10 run-rule victory.
Ward highlighted the Lady Warriors’ efforts at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Kelsey Hoffman and Maci Claire Moore each finished with three hits, and nine of the team’s 20 base hits were good for extra bases.
Hoffman tossed 4.1 innings in the circle to earn the win, striking out three Center Hill batters against five walks and five earned runs. Savanna Hudspeth polished off the final 0.2 frames, garnering a pair of strikeouts and one earned run allowed.
Hits were also not hard to come by for Senatobia in last Saturday’s 20-5 run-rule win at Olive Branch, as the Lady Warriors finished with 13 hits in just four full innings of action.
Senatobia led 2-1 after the first inning, but the Lady Warriors used a five-run frame in the top of the second to break open the game. Three additional runs in the top of the third stretched the lead to 10-1, before the Lady Conquistadors added four more in the home half of the third inning.
Although Olive Branch closed the gap to 10-5, Senatobia’s 10-run scoring surge in the top of the fourth put the game away for good.
Bailey Thomas finished 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs. Anna Hollis Faulkner tossed two complete innings in the circle, striking out four batters against three walks and three earned runs, followed by two innings of relief from Sims.
Saturday’s finale against Oxford was much closer, with the Lady Warriors using an RBI-single from Ward in the top of the sixth to score the winning run.
Both teams went scoreless through the first three innings, but a leadoff single in the fourth from Thomas paved the way for an RBI-triple from Moore. Oxford added a two-out RBI-double in the home half of the fourth, tying the game at 1-1.
Thomas struck again in the top of the fifth with an RBI-double to center field, and Hudspeth added a two-run single to right field, widening the gap to 4-1.
Oxford answered back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game, before Ward’s single drove in the winning run for the Lady Warriors.
Senatobia finished with eight hits in the victory, led by two apiece from Hudspeth and Thomas. Hoffman also pitched all six innings for the Lady Warriors, earning seven strikeouts against six walks and three earned runs.
In Monday’s 11-2 victory against Strayhorn, Senatobia fell behind 2-0 to the Lady Mustangs in the top of the first, only to score all 11 of its runs unanswered.
Sariah Artis got the Lady Warriors on the board in the bottom of the second with a solo inside-the-park home run. In the bottom of the fourth, Senatobia finally took the lead with back-to-back RBI-singles from Artis and Bozant. The 3-2 lead grew even more for SHS in the bottom of the sixth, when the Lady Warriors broke the game open with eight runs.
With two outs in the home half of the sixth, Hoffman drew a bases loaded walk and a grand slam from Thomas made it a 7-2 lead for Senatobia. Another solo homer off the bat of Moore gave the Lady Warriors the 8-2 advantage, and Nadeah Newson hit an inside-the park homer to further stretch the lead to 10-2.
Taryn Hale closed out the scoring with an RBI-single and the Lady Mustangs were retired in order in the top of the seventh.
Senatobia finished the game with 12 base hits, while Strayhorn was held to three hits. The Lady Mustangs also committed five errors.
Artis, Bozant and Thomas led SHS with two base hits apiece, while Hudspeth picked up the win with six scoreless innings, including six strikeouts.
With the wins, Senatobia improved to 4-3 overall. The Lady Warriors are scheduled to host South Pontotoc on Thursday, March 6 and Marion (Ark.) on Friday, March 7. Game times are scheduled for 7 P.M. and 5 P.M., respectively.
