Cardinal Newman’s Alex Watson bats as Hammond’s Parker Herring catches and Grace Cobbs plays third. The Hammond Skyhawks’ softball team kept things close for four innings, but a barrage of hits by Cardinal Newman in the fifth, including a two–out grand slam by Alex August, proved to be the difference as the Cardinals won 12–2 on March 29.

“I told the girls that they played the best four innings of the season during this game,” said Hammond coach Ken Beasley. “But Cardinal Newman’s bats were just too much for us in the end.”

Last year, the Cardinals made short work of Hammond, winning 16–0 in three innings. This year was more of a challenge.

Both teams struck early, although Cardinal pitcher Nazley Wilson, last year’s SCISA’s player of the year, and Hammond eighth grader Faythe Goins managed to get themselves out of several jams with key strikeouts. With the score 2–1 in Cardinal Newman’s favor in the bottom of the second inning, Courtney Poston reached on a single and stole twice fpr the Cardinals. But Goins struck out the next two batters and forced Annalise Hughen to pop up for the inning– ending out.

Hammond’s Faythe Goins pitches to Cardinal Newman’s Courtney Poston with Parker Herring catching. In the top of the third, Hammond freshman Sydney Beasley reached base on a dropped third strike, and Caroline Penland hit a solid single down the first base line to advance Beasley. Senior Brooks Burnside reached on a slow grounder that was overthrown at first, and Goins reached on an error that brought Penland in to score. But that was all Hammond could muster and the score remained tied at two.

In the Cardinal third, August singled and Wilson bunted her way on. After several steals, two runs were scored on solid hits and a passed ball, and Cardinal Newman established a lead it would not relinquish.

The score remained 4–2 through the fourth inning and top of the fifth, but that’s when the floodgates opened up.

The Cardinals struck quickly and often, including a fielder’s choice by freshman Margo Deyling, triples by senior Teresa Lattimore and Poston, a single from Isabella Colombo, and then, the grand slam by August over the center field fence.

With the score 12–2, the mercy rule was invoked.

Wilson, who has signed a letter of intent to play at Eckerd College, got the win with five solid innings of pitching.

Hammond bounced back with a 10–6 victory over Richard Winn Academy the following day. Grace Cobbs, who left the game with a 9–1 lead after pitching four innings, got the win. Pitchers Jordan Miller and Goins sealed the win with strong pitching performances in the last three innings. The Skyhawks are now 3–3 on the year.

Cardinal Newman (10–5) continued their winning ways with a 17–0 victory over Augusta Christian on March 30. They will face Airport on April 14. Hammond will travel to Ben Lippen on April 12.