Published: March 15, 2008 01:27 am      

Livingston strikes early, holds off Lady Hornets 7-3

Sophomore Michelle McGill shined at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs-batted in, but it wasn’t enough to help Huntsville get over the hill as Livingston outlasted the Lady Hornets 7-3 in District 18-4A softball action Friday at Kate Ross Barr Park.

Huntsville (7-10, 2-2) fell down early 5-0 after five innings but battled back for a pair of runs in the sixth. The Lions tacked on two runs of their own in the seventh and the Lady Hornets were only able to push across one run in their half of seventh inning as they failed to win their third district contest in three days.

“We hit some shots — they didn’t fall; they hit some shots and they did fall,” Huntsville coach Nancy Hopper said. “That’s softball. Tonight was just one of those nights like that.”

Jessica Beardsley added a multi-hit effort, batting 2-for-4 with a run scored and Haley Tatum also drove in a run.

Shelby Smith took the loss on the mound. She lasted four innings in the circle and gave up four runs and seven hits while walking two. Haley Martin pitched the final three innings for the Lady Hornets, allowing three runs and four hits.

Livingston opted for Morgan Lantrip as its starting pitcher, but after Huntsville got a pair of runners on base in the second, Lantrip was replaced with Whitney Aikin.

Aikin got the Lions out of the second-inning jam and proceeded to pitch the final five innings to get the win and yielded three runs and just four hits while walking one.

Livingston scored a pair of runs in the top of the second when Nicole Sanders singled with the bases loaded to score two runs, but further damage was prevented when Lantrip was thrown out at the plate.

“It’s very important that we get runs across early in the game,” Hopper said. “Livingston jumped out early, kept the lead and increased it a little — a run or two at a time. We were late getting a couple of runs across.”

The Lions added an insurance run in the fourth when Aikin doubled to right to lead off the inning.

A single by Kasey Hobson plated Aikin, but Smith pitched herself out of the threat to hold the Lions lead to 3-0.

Livingston scored two runs in the top of the fifth but Huntsville countered in the sixth with a pair of its own.

Nena Gibson drew a leadoff walk and stole second. McGill laced a triple over the right fielder’s head to plate Gibson and came home on a groundout by Tatum.

Haley Martin followed with a single to right, but Livingston center fielder Kortini Bodnar was able to track down a deep hit ball to center off the bat of Brigette Sledge. With a runner on first and her team leading 5-2, Aikin escaped the frame by getting freshman Sharita Ennis to fly out to second.

Huntsville will continue district play when it travels to Willis on Tuesday and hosts Caney Creek on Thursday.

“Playing next week will be a little different than what we’ve gotten used to this week,” Hopper said. “With Good Friday coming up, we’ll play Tuesday and Thursday and right now the weather forecast for Tuesday doesn’t look so well. I’m sure the kids are tired with four games this week. I told them to have a nice holiday weekend and to be ready to go Monday.”