By By LAWRENCE KEECH Staff Writer
CHOCOWINITY -- It started with passed balls and walks, it ended with a lopsided 11-4 score, as Mattamuskeet kicked off its softball season with a win over Southside Wednesday afternoon at Southside High School.
After a scoreless first inning, Mattamuskeet posted three runs in the top of the second inning off two walks, a single, an error, a passed ball and a wild pitch.
Erica Cahoon drew a leadoff walk. With one out, Elizabeth Byrd singled. Lacy Ballance then drew a walk to load the bases for Kendall Parent. A passed ball allowed Cahoon to score the first run of the contest.
Then a bunt was misfielded by Southside's pitcher and Byrd came home. That put runners on first and third, still with one out. Parent advanced to second without a throw. Then a second bunt attempt was picked up by the pitcher, who chose to hold Ballance on third rather than opt for the out at first.
Following a strikeout with the bases loaded, a wild pitch brought Ballance in for a 3-0 lead. On the throw, Parent attempted to come home, but was tagged out at the plate by Seahawks (2-4) catcher Kendall Sadler.
Byrd walked five in her first four innings of work, then reentered the game in the seventh inning and gave up the final run of the contest. She only gave up one hit, that coming to Ashley Craig in the third inning.
Jenna Bowen pitched the fifth and sixth innings. She gave up three runs on three walks and single in the fifth. She retired the side in the sixth.
Coach Parent had substituted almost his entire lineup in the fifth inning.
The subs came in and picked up three hits in the two-run fifth inning.
When the starters came back in the seventh inning, they padded the game with five runs.
Adrea Cahoon drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second without a throw from the plate. Erica Cahoon doubled to bring in a run. Gena Ortega then drew a walk and moved to second on a fielder's choice by Byrd. Three straight errors resulted in the next three runs.
Another error brought in the fifth run.
The game was the first for Mattamuskeet, which has dealt with nearly three weeks of rain outs.
Both schools were scheduled to play a baseball game as well, but umpires never showed up. Southside coach Linwood "Red" Lewis said the teams were not going to make up the game.
Mattamuskeet 030 120 5 -- 11 10 2
Southside 000 030 1 -- 4 2 5
WP: Elizabeth Byrd; LP -- Jenny Swain
M. -- Kelly O'neal 1-3, Sara Padilla 1-2, A. Lockly 1-1, Erica Cahoon 1-3 (2B, RBI), Elizabeth Byrd 1-2, Jenna Bowen 1-1 (2 RBIs), Lacy Ballance 1-3, Kendall Parent 2-3, Lisa Mullen 1-3; S. -- Ashley Craig 2-4.