Lady Gamecocks earn dominant win in opener

After dealing with uncooperative weather early in the 2020 softball season, the New Brockton Lady Gamecocks finally got the season underway on Thursday, Feb. 27, with a 16-1 win over the Goshen Lady Eagles.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, New Brockton took control of the game and never looked back with an eye-popping 11 runs in the top of the second.

McKenlie Jerkins scored on a passed ball to tie the score up 1-1 and then Paula McKenna scored on an error to give New Brockton the lead 2-1.

That lead continued to mount when Kennedy Hussey doubled a line drive into left field to drive Kierstin Sunday home and then Kinsley Owens, Hussey and Mary Beth Smith scored on errors.

Bailey Blackmon drilled a ground ball single into center field to drive home Megan Eldridge to extend the lead to 7-1. McKenna then doubled on a line drive into right field to send both Madison Meeks and Jerkins home for two more scores to put the Lady Gamecocks ahead 9-1.

Sunday singled into center field to drive McKenna home and then Hussey singled on a ground ball to third base to drive Sunday home again giving New Brockton the 11-1 lead.

In the top of the third inning, Meeks scored on a passed ball and Jerkins scored on a bunt from McKenna to extend the New Brockton lead to 13-1.

New Brockton’s lead swelled to 15-1 in the top of the fourth inning when Eldridge singled a ground ball into center field to drive both Sunday and Hussey home.

In the top of the fifth, Sunday drove Owens home on a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 16-1.

New Brockton pitcher Blackmon ended the game in the bottom of the fifth as she struck out one batter and the next two were out on pop out fly balls and the game was called.

Blackmon pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts and allowed just one hit and one run or the entire five innings with 43-of-61 pitches landing as strikes.

Hussey, Sunday, McKenna, Blackmon and Eldridge all earned two hits each. Hussey, Sunday and McKenna each went 2-of-3 from the plate. McKenna also had three RBIs and two runs, while Sunday had three RBIs and three runs.

Smith, Elrdige and Hussey had two RBIs, while Jerkins scored three runs.

New Brockton coach Wade Hussey was proud of the way his team started off the season.

“I think we hit the ball well and hard, and we capitalized on their mistakes,” he said. “Bailey (Blackmon) pitched a great game. Her change up was on tonight.

“Base running, to me tonight, was at a new level. They made more mistakes with the way we were able to run the bases tonight.”

Stats by Michael Jerkins