By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Lady Red Devils picked up a pair of easy 5A-Central wins on Tuesday, hammering Pulaski Academy 15-0 and 16-0 in a doubleheader at Dupree Park.
Leadoff hitter Bailee Jones set the tone for the night, ripping a 2-1 pitch to left-center field for a triple in the game’s first at-bat. Zylah Richardson drove her in with a single, and ended up on third after two PA throwing errors. Kinley Burrows walked with one out and Kym House doubled to drive in both base runners and give Jacksonville a 3-0 lead. The next five batters were either walked or hit by pitches, giving Jacksonville a 5-0 lead going into the second inning.
Three errors, two more hit batters and singles by House and Morgan Loyd gave the Lady Devils four more runs in the second inning.
Richardson led off the third inning with a single, and finished it off with a walk-off, RBI single that gave Jacksonville a 15-0 lead that ended the game on the mercy rule.
Burrows tripled to score Richardson after the first hit. House singled to complete a 3 for 3 performance at the plate. Another hit batter, two walks and Richardson’s walk-off single ended the game.
House gave up two base hits in the first inning before retiring the last seven batters of the game in order. She had four strikeouts and zero walks. She fanned the game’s last two batters in six pitches.
Playing as the visiting team in game two, Jacksonville scored three runs in the top of the first, five in the second and nine in the third.
The Lady Bruin pitching got better with far fewer walks and hit batters, but Jacksonville got 14 base hits in the second game. Richardson went 3 for 4 and Burrows 3 for 3 in game two – including another triple. House went 2 for 3 with a double.
House also threw game two. Pulaski Academy got three one-out base hits in the bottom of the third, but House recovered with a strikeout and a fly out to shortstop to end the game. She gave up four hits while striking out three and walking none.
“We did what we were supposed to do,” said Jacksonville coach Hank Hawk. “They aren’t a very good team, but we didn’t let that effect our intensity. We came out ready to play and we played hard. We got to play some younger players and they did really well. We have some kids that came into this season with practically no experience, and they’re helping us. In one form or another, we played five freshman tonight.”
Jacksonville (8-5, 4-4) will play North Pulaski in another 5A-Central doubleheader on Tuesday at Dupree Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
