United Country coach Scott Lindseyhad a reason to believe in addition by subtraction after his team’s 13-1 victory over Trophies & Treasures in McComb 11-and-12-year-olds Dixie Youth Softball action Tuesday at Edgewood Park.
Morgan Webb had three hits to pace a 9-hit attack and United Country took advantage of seven walks issued by Trophies & Treasures in the three-inning tilt.
With two games remaining, the victory moved United Country (9-5) to within a game of Thrift Drugs for first place in the league.
“The last couple of games, we started hitting the ball good,” Lindsey said. “We quit practicing and we started hitting the ball. Maybe it was the coaching. Maybe I coached too much.”
Trophies & Treasures (4-7) took a brief 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Whitley Howell was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, she went to second on Madison Bates’ one-out single and scored on Ashley Vanegas’ single.
United Country quickly answered in the bottom of the first. Consecutive singles by Mabry Glass, Cheri Savoie and Morgan Webb tied the game at 1-1.
Kalei Hughes then roped a double to right-center field to score Savoie and Webb.
Hughes moved to third on Mary McClain Lindsey’s infield groundout and scored on Keria Brister’s infield single stretch the lead to 4-1.
Chelsea Howell then reached on a fielder’s choice when her grounder hit Brister in the foot for the second out of the inning. Kaycee Hutson then reached on a fielding error, allowing Howell to score for a 5-1 lead.
After a single by Glass and a walk to Savoie loaded the bases, United Country reached the seven-run limit in an inning when Webb grounded a single to center that scored Hutson and Mabry for the 7-1 lead.
United Country added on to its lead in the second inning. With one out, Lindsey and Olive walked and scored when Brister reached on a two-base fielding error.
Chelsea Howell followed with a ground ball that was cleanly played, but the throw was dropped by the first baseman. The miscue brought home Brister for a 10-1 lead.
Howell then scored on consecutive wild pitches to send the lead to 11-1. Hutson then walked, went to second on a walk to Savoie, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Webb’s double to left that made it 12-1.
United Country implemented the 12-run-lead, three-inning rule with a final tally in the third.
Lindsey reached on an error, Olive walked and Brister legged out an infield single to load the bases with nobody out.
One out later, Hutson hit a roller to the left of the pitching mound. Trophies & Treasures pitcher Shelby McDonald fielded the ball, but had no play at the plate as Lindsey scored the game-ending run.
“We didn’t pitch really well and our defense wasn’t especially good tonight,” Trophies & Treasures coach Bradley Creel said. “The girls were flat. They played late (Monday) night and they turned around and played the early game (Tuesday). We seemed to be a little lacking in our focus.”
