By Tray Mason

Correspondent

A big first inning was enough for King’s Fork’s softball team (6-4, 5-4) to hold off cross-town rival Lakeland High School on Monday, with the Bulldogs winning 4-3.

In a matchup of two freshman pitchers, Sydney Wash got the better of opposing pitcher Brooke Mizelle. Wash went a complete seven innings, giving up just two hits and walking only two batters. She also struck out 10 Lakeland batters, including three of the final six batters.

“Sydney is special, she’s getting confidence every game,” King’s Fork head coach Richard Froemel said. “She’s gonna be there in the end with her abilities and her confidence.”

Her ability and confidence allowed for a clutch performance in the final innings of a one-run game.

In the fifth inning, she fanned her pitching counterpart Mizelle with runners on first and second base for the second out of the inning, followed by a ground ball to first base to keep the Lady Bulldogs ahead.

Lakeland sent three batters to the plate in the sixth inning, and three batters were sent back to the dugout, two by way of strikeout.

In the final inning after allowing a single on the first at-bat, Wash retired the final three batters to close the game.

Wash had run support from her teammates in the win, also. Senior Taylor Davis went 3 for 3 with an RBI and a walk. Monica Longwood was 1 for 2 with two RBIs, and Autumn Vick also went 2 for 4 at the plate and scored twice.

“Everyone was prepared for this,” Longwood said. “We wanted it really bad. We deserved the win, and we got it.”

The Lady Bulldogs scored all of their runs in the first inning, after loading the bases with no outs.

After a sacrifice fly from Davis put the Lady Bulldogs up 2-0, a controversial play ensued in which King’s Fork scored two more runs.

Longwood hit an infield fly to the Cavaliers’ shortstop, who wasn’t able to field the ball, as runners were moving around the base path.

Lakeland’s dugout protested, seeking a runner’s interference call, and head coach Steve Wood came onto the field to speak with the umpire, but the runs still counted, and the Lady Bulldogs took a 4-0 lead.

The Lady Cavaliers closed the gap with a three-run third inning, but Wash would shut them out during the remainder of the game.

“I feel good about the win, ready for Deep Creek and ready to bring the enthusiasm,” Davis said after the win.

This afternoon, the Lady Bulldogs host Deep Creek, which upset top-ranked Grassfield on Monday.