CHARLOTTESVILLE — There was some concern.
An unexpected 10-day layoff due to COVID-19 quarantines right in the middle of an 11-game winning streak is never ideal for any team.
Fortunately, the Class 2A No. 7 Eastern Hancock Royals aren’t any team.
Out since April 22 and returning to the softball diamond just this week, the red-hot Royals (13-1) came out Thursday in mid-season and handily knocked off 2A No. 2 Union County, 6-3, at home.
The victory marked Eastern Hancock’s second in as many days and 13th straight since losing its season opener at 4A No. 1 New Palestine, 4-3, on March 22. Eastern Hancock is a flawless 6-0 on its home field.
The Royals logged eight hits, including a pair of extra-base knocks, highlighted by a grand slam from freshman Brooklyn Willis in the bottom of the third, and issued Union County (18-2) its first loss in five games.
“We were scared to death. We had some pretty good momentum going, especially offensively, but I don’t know why I keep saying that because our pitching has done excellent, too,” Eastern Hancock head coach Terry Stephens said. “I don’t know why I always go offense because our pitching has been outstanding. I guess that’s the part that everyone sees (the offense).”
Against the visiting Patriots, onlookers caught a glimpse of every facet the Royals have to offer.
Five Royals batters posted at least one hit, including a 3-for-4 performance from lead-off hitter Caroline Stapleton, while the defense came through with several key plays despite steady winds and intermittent rain showers.
In the circle, Madison Stephens, the team’s 1A-1B ace, improved to 5-0 on the season, scattering six hits, walking two, striking out eight and allowing three inconsequential earned runs.
The only trouble Stephens found herself in unfolded in the top of the first as Union County turned a lead-off walk and an ensuing single into a 2-0 lead after Shelby Hill’s one-out two-run single.
A strikeout and a fly out to center field ended the inning and the Patriots’ (18-2) scoring through the next four frames until an RBI-single by Roya Walton in the top of the sixth.
“After she settled down, she was good. I told her to trust her locations, hit your spots. You don’t have to blow the ball by anybody, hit your spots and don’t hit that sweet spot of the bat, and your defense will be there to back you up,” Terry Stephens said. “Once she settled down, she was fine.”
Madison Stephens locked in to retire nine consecutive hitters from the final out in the top of the second through the fifth.
Union County was limited to two hits in the first and didn’t record another until the fifth while tacking on three more in the sixth for six overall.
The Royals’ co-ace, Maddie Turner, controlled 2A No. 15 Frankton on the road Wednesday night, going 5.0 innings pitched with seven strikeouts and seven hits surrendered to lead Eastern Hancock to a 14-4 win in five innings.
The win pushed her season record to 8-1, while giving the Royals their longest winning streak in program history at 12 straight.
Against Union County, it was Madison Stephens’ turn and an opportunity for the Royals to extend their historic single-season runs in both wins and home runs.
On Wednesday, it was Sammie Bolding and Grace Stapleton who blasted home runs apiece to give the team a record 23 on the season.
Back at home, Willis provided No. 24 as the Royals faced a 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the third.
“I truly was just thinking base hit, base hit. That’s all we need and just happened to get lucky and it happened to go over,” Willis said.
Fortune was in Willis’ favor from the beginning as Caroline Stapleton laced a one-out single to left to reach base. Kaylee Stewart was hit by a pitch to put two runners on.
A soft single to shallow left field by Bolding loaded the bases for Willis, who worked a 1-2 count before unleashing her power for her fifth home run this year.
“Us practicing at home and hitting and throwing (during quarantine) kept us in shape and then just being together and getting that one practice day in (before Frankton) helped a lot, too,” Willis said. “We’re just thinking about the next game. It’s win this next game ahead of us and then win the next game later.”
The Royals added two more runs in the fifth, utilizing three Union County errors and a double steal to plate both.
Bolding opened the inning with a single and advanced on a fielding error that put Willis on first base in the next at-bat. Taylor Koch connected for a single that was misplayed and allowed Bolding to score from second base.
A double steal by Koch and Willis gave the latter enough time to sprint home as Union County committed to the rundown out between second and first base.
Bolding finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Koch was 1-for-3 and Emma Bolding was 1-for-3 with a double.
Willis went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI in one mighty swing.
“She’s in the four hole for a reason. She’s there to protect Sammie, so that way it’s hard to pitch around Sammie when you know you have Brooklyn waiting behind her,” Stephens said. “Of course, we expect those first three to get on. High on-base percentage is what we want. They did their job.”
The Royals’ hitters have produced 178 runs in 14 games with a .429 team batting average, 144 RBI, 31 doubles and 12 triples.
The pitching staff carries a 2.30 ERA (Stephens at 1.55 and Turner at 3.02) with 103 strikeouts in 82.0 innings pitched. Opposing teams are hitting .213 against the Royals.
Prior to their quarantine, the Royals were inching closer to a top-three placement in the ICGSA softball rankings, but with their time off they dropped slightly over the past week.
Their win against Union County might move them back up into the top five.
“The rankings mean nothing to me. To me, it’s somebody just throwing teams around, but don’t get me wrong, that’s an excellent team we just played. That was a big win for us,” Stephens said.
Not that Stephens expected anything less this season.
“When I looked on paper before the season started I was thinking, we have experience pitching, we have pitchers that very rarely walk batters, really good at hitting locations, then we have the offensive firepower to support them. I liked what I saw on paper, and so far, I like what I see on the field,” Stephens said.
