Although they collected a bunch of hits and scored a lot of runs, they still weren't able to muster victory.
That was the fate of the Briarwood Academy Lady Buccaneers in their softball game against the Thomas Jefferson Academy Lady Jaguars in Louisville last Wednesday. The final score of the Region 1-A slugfest game was 14-12.
"Overall, we hit really well," remarked Briarwood head coach Hannah Demore. "Having scored 12 runs, we should have won. We walked way too many. It probably counted for half of their runs."
Briarwood scored their first three runs of the game in the top of the first inning to give the Lady Bucs a 3-0 lead.
Third baseman Maria Celeste Johnson led off with single to right field and later moved to second base when left fielder Emily Henderson walked. Both runners advanced on the base path when shortstop Kris Dawson grounded out to the TJA pitcher.
Gerry Hall followed by grounding out to the second baseman, which allowed Johnson to race home with the first run of the game.
The two-out rally stayed alive when catcher Erin Phelps reached on an error. Megan Smith then smashed a two-run double to boost Briarwood's lead to 3-0, as Henderson and Dawson crossed home plate. Rachel Coxwell grounded out to end any additional threat.
As it turned out, Briarwood's lead didn't hold up. Thomas Jefferson Academy stormed right back with four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 4-3 lead.
In the second inning, the Lady Bucs scored three more runs to regain the lead, 6-4. Scoring for Briarwood during that uprising was Lizzie Keen, Johnson and Dawson. Henderson drove in one of those runs with an RBI single up the middle, while Hall, a senior, drilled a two-run triple for the big hit of the inning.
Another Briarwood run scored in the top of the third. Coxwell hit a one-out double into right field and later scored when Keen reached on a fielder's choice.
The only other hit during that at-bat for the Lady Bucs came off the bat of second baseman Savannah Carani -- a single to the left side of the field.
The scoring continued in the fourth for Briarwood. Hall drew a two-out walk before scoring on Phelps' RBI double to center field.
Again in the fifth, the Lady Bucs scored runs. Henderson delivered a base hit that drove in Keen and Johnson. Keen earlier had reached base on a fielder's choice, while Johnson collected her third hit of the game up the middle.
In the sixth, Briarwood scored two more runs. Johnson and Phelps got the honors.
Game-ending statistics for Briarwood showed they collected a total of 16 hits.
Those with the hits included: Maria Celeste Johnson, 4-for-5; Emily Hederson, 2-for-4; Kris Dawson, 1-for-5; Gerry Hall, 2-for-4; Erin Phelps, 2-for-5; Megan Smith, 1-for-5; Rachel Coxwell, 1-for-4; Savannah Carani, 3-for-3; and Lizzie Keen, 0-for-4.
