CHARLOTTESVILLE — The Eastern Hancock Royals might be young, but they are truly mighty.
With only one senior in the batting order and six players in the starting lineup at the sophomore level or below, the Royals softball team flashed its youthful experience during its home opener and won by run rule over Hagerstown, 20-0, in five innings on Wednesday.
The Class 2A Royals combined for 11 hits, six stolen bases, two doubles and 13 total bases against visiting Hagerstown to improve their season record to 1-1.
Eastern Hancock narrowly lost, 4-3, at powerhouse New Palestine, now 4A, on Monday to open the season, but a trip back home was just what they needed to course correct.
“It feels pretty good (to win), and it gets the team up and ready for the rest of the season,” Eastern Hancock sophomore right fielder Emma Bolding said. “It’s prepares us for the long run as we work to get to state. We do have a lot of kids that play travel ball, and that’s just a lot of experience that they bring to the team. It just takes us to another level.”
Bolding and her sister, Sammie, a freshman shortstop, both finished the game 1-for-2 for the Royals with three runs scored apiece, a double each and two RBI to each player’s credit.
Emma’s extra-base knock broke open the Royals’ big 13-run bottom of the third inning, driving in a pair, while Sammie’s double highlighted a five-run fourth.
After losing the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Royals came out eager to please the home crowd and established an early 2-0 lead with one run scored in each of the first two innings before erupting in the third.
“That goes back to the softball knowledge,” Eastern Hancock head coach Terry Stephens said. “I don’t even need to be over (at third base) to be honest. My only job is to have one of the best views in the house. They pretty much know what they’re doing. I’m just rambling my mouth to hear myself talk. They already know it.”
The Royals’ heads up play on the base paths generated offense as Hagerstown struggled with wind gusts that whipped around the diamond at nearly 25 mph with several passed balls and wild pitches.
Hagerstown’s six errors contributed to the Royals sending 17 batters to the plate in the bottom of the third and nine in the fourth.
“It’s always good to get those extra bases and extra runs. Those free little mistakes cost games and win games, and I think we took advantage of those,” Royals freshman designated player Brooklyn Willis said. “We know we’re going to cause some damage, and it’s just great because we know we’re going to hit some bombs.”
Willis, who celebrated her 15th birthday with the season’s first victory, finished 1-for-2 at the plate with three runs scored, a stolen base, two walks and an RBI single in the fourth inning to drive in Eastern Hancock’s final run.
“A lot of the past years, I’ve been able to play softball on my birthday, but last year, I sadly couldn’t, so it’s honestly very exciting,” Willis said. “It feels great to win because I knew we had the potential to, so just to prove it and show everyone we’re capable of doing it feels pretty good.”
Caroline Stapleton, a junior center fielder, went 2-for-2 for the Royals with four runs scored, three stolen bases, a pair of walks and an RBI single in her second at-bat in the third.
Kaylee Stewart, a junior second baseman, went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Taylor Koch, a junior third baseman, was 2-for-3 with three runs scored, a walk and a stolen base.
Kaylee Kline, a sophomore catcher, went 1-for-3 with an RBI single during the Royals’ tide-turning third frame. Grace Stapleton, a sophomore first baseman, was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run. Maddie Turner, the team’s lone senior starter, was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.
Turner went the distance in the circle on Monday against New Palestine with four strikeouts and three earned runs.
Against Hagerstown, Turner patrolled left field while sophomore Madison Stephens dictated the terms as the home opener starting pitcher, scattering two hits with nine strikeouts through 5.0 innings.
“We have zero walks this year. We talk about errors and walks. We had one error today with the throw coming in from right field and that girl advanced to second, trying to get that girl at first, but no walks,” Stephens said. “Our hitting is going to be fine. It’s the pitchers who have to locate and no walks. No errors and no walks, then we’ll be alright.”
Everything went the Royals’ way as they chased Hagerstown’s starter Hannah Pyle, a freshman, after 2.1 innings pitched. Pyle was charged with eight earned runs, five hits allowed, four walks and one strikeout.
Junior relief pitcher Tori Kelley took over in the bottom of the third, but the Royals kept the pressure on. Kelley surrendered four earned runs through 1.2 innings with two walks, six hits allowed and had a strikeout.
“The thing I liked was their No. 1 pitcher had good speed and every girl I have up there gets their money’s worth. They go up there swinging that bat, so every girl that goes up there, I’m thinking, ‘Alright, here goes another hit,'” Stephens said. “I never think there is going to be a strikeout from top to bottom. They are going to put the ball in play.”
Eastern Hancock heads into spring break with some momentum before returning to the diamond at home against Triton Central on Tuesday, April 6, which kicks off a stretch of four games in five days the week they resume play.
