New Hope High School won its slow-pitch softball game Tuesday night on a walk-off walk.
Four straight hits and a walk led to two runs and a 6-5 victory for the Lady Trojans against Grenada.
The victory completed a doubleheader sweep, as New Hope won the opener, 12-2 in five innings.
Postgame, New Hope players and coaches were just as relieved as excited.
“We had too many mental mistakes in the second game, for whatever reason we just weren’t there,” New Hope junior Kaitlin Bradley said. “First game, we had hits all together. We played really well.
“We came to play in the first game and were bad after that.”
Despite a 4-1 start, the Lady Trojans are in search of consistency. Tuesday night’s sweep came after a stunning home loss to Smithville last week.
“We need to start playing in the first inning,” New Hope senior Lauren Holifield said. “We have a bad habit of waiting until the seventh inning, when we really have to do something.
“In the first game, we showed what we can do when we come into a game ready to play.”
New Hope coach Tabitha Beard was pleased with the consistent hitting in the opener. In the second contest, she was displeased about the lack of intensity and the lack of mental focus needed to win.
“We need some enthusiasm,” Beard said. “We are just flat right now. The players are going to have put differences aside and they will have to play together.
“We need to gel together and show a little bit of that Lady Trojan grit. That is what we are sorely needing right now.”
In the opener, Bradley, D.J. Sanders, Holifield, Taylor Blevins and Raleighcia James each had multiple hits.
New Hope build a comfortable lead and cruised to that victory.
In the second contest, there would be no such cruise.
“We have to work harder and get ours head together,” Bradley said. “Things will get better. By the time September gets here, we will know what we are doing.”
Holifield also believes the best is yet to come for the squad.
“We really have to hit all the way through the lineup,” Holifield said. “That is the only way you can win in slow-pitch softball. We had hits in the second game but they were not all together. I think that is one of the things that we will be working on.”
The Lady Trojans quickly grabbed an early lead in the nightcap.
Grenada battled back for a 5-4 lead with four runs in the sixth inning. Haven Lott hit a massive three-run home run for the lead.
“We were not really into that game,” Bradley said. “I think the first game was easy so we thought the second one was going to be as well.
“You can’t do that. You have to treat each opponent and each situation differently. Our mental focus was not good.”
New Hope was retired in order in the home half of the sixth inning.
In the seventh inning, James, Kaitlin Oswalt, Blevins and Bradley had consecutive hits to start the inning.
Bradley’s hit brought James home with the game-tying run. Sanders walked on a 3-1 pitch to force in Oswalt with the game-winner.
Blevins paced the New Hope offensive attack with three hits.
Bradley and Holifield each added multiple hits for the Lady Trojans.
n In other prep softball action Tuesday night, Central Academy defeated Winona Christian 7-2 in a fast-pitch contest played at Winona.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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