Bowling Green led Central Private School, 4-0, through two innings and missed an opportunity for more, but put up seven runs in the fourth in an 11-0 five-inning victory Monday evening at home on Senior Night.
“I was pleased. We’ve been kind of in a little bit of a hitting slump and I’m really glad to see that they’re coming alive before South State (which begins Saturday),” Bowling Green coach Meghan Dyer said. “That’s kind of how I know they can do it — crush the ball. We’ve been in a little slump and I’m glad to see they’ve worked through it in all different areas of the lineup.”
The Lady Bucs got on the board in the first inning when Landry Dupont walked with one out before stealing second and third and she tallied the game’s first run on a wild pitch.
Bowling Green added three more in the second.
Pitcher Hannah Creel helped herself by doubling over the centerfielder’s head. The next hitter Jayden Jenkins then drove in courtesy runner Anna Claire Crowe with a single and advanced to second on the throw home. Kylee Burris then reached on a throwing error that plated Jenkins with the third run. Burris later scored on Breanna Tobey’s RBI groundout to short. It was 4-0 through two innings.
That was plenty for Creel, who worked five innings of shutout ball, allowing just two hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts.
The only hits she yielded were a first-inning double to the left centerfield gap by Morgan Campbell and a fourth-inning single to Tori Richard.
Bowling Green had a chance to add more in the third inning when Cass Spears and Cailee Fruge began the frame with back-to-back singles to left, but a lineout into a double play followed by a groundout ended the inning.
Bowling Green did not miss its opportunity to break the game open in the fourth. The Lady Bucs put up seven runs.
The inning was set up with consecutive singles by Burris, Madelyn Burch and Anna Beninato to load the bases with nobody out.
Leadoff hitter Tobey continued the hit parade with an RBI single to right, sending Burris home with the game’s fifth run. Dupont picked up an RBI when she was hit by a pitch. Burch tallied to make it 6-0.
Spears then drove in Beninato and Tobey with a two-run single to left for an 8-0 advantage. Following a walk to Fruge to reload the bases, Creel posted an RBI single, sending Landry home to make it 9-0. After a force out at home, the first out of the inning, Burris coaxed an RBI walk that allowed Fruge to score. Burch grounded into a force play at home, but a throwing error to third sent Jenkins home. It was 11-0 through four.
Central Private need to score two runs to avoid the mercy rule, but Creel struck out the side with a walk in the middle as the Lady Bucs won, 11-0.
Prior to the game, Bowling Green honored its three seniors, Creel, Fruge and Jenkins.
“They’re all three special in their own ways,” Dyer said. “They’re all three leaders. They pick one another up. In the dugout, they tell their teammates to get up and they cheer their teammates on. They’re great leaders. They’re a great group of girls. They’ll be missed here a lot.”
Bowling Green came up short the following day in a 3-2 loss to Brookhaven Academy on the road.
The Lady Buccaneers recorded five hits — one each by Tobey, Spears, Fruge, Creel and Beninato.
Fruge doubled. She and Spears drove in a run each. Beninato and Dupont scored a run each.
Bowling Green will begin play in the Class AAA South State Tournament on Sept. 23 at 11 a.m. against either Central Private School or Central Hinds Academy.
The tournament is being played Sept. 23 and 25.