Lady Mavs beat Coalfield, Northview Grooms pitches two-hit shutout
After getting off to an 0-6 start, Anderson County High School’s softball team is heading into the week with a modest two-game winning streak.
The Lady Mavericks closed the week Friday with an 11-0 victory at Northview Academy as pitcher Addy Grooms hurled a two-hit shutout. She posted a dominant performance in the circle as she allowed just one walk and had seven strikeouts.
She also had a big night at the plate as she went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for the Lady Mavericks, who blew the game open with six runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Leadoff hitter Kaycee Baldwin was 2-for-5 and scored two runs, while Brooklyn Dugger had a double, a run scored and an RBI and Marlea Finstad had a hit and scored two runs.
ACHS lost to Grace Christian Academy 7-3, on Tuesday, March 18, despite getting a home run from Finstad. But even in defeat, Lady Mavs’ head coach Allen Russell saw things take a positive turn.
“We opened the week against Grace and we didn’t lose the game. We just got beat,” Russell said. “We played pretty well and we played good defense.”
On Thursday, Anderson County notched its first victory of the 2024 season as it toppled Coalfield, 6-3, on the road.
“We went up to Coalfield and they were a scrappy team. They’re pretty good and they’re not the Coalfield of old,” Russell said. “They have a pitcher and catcher that played for us in middle school back in the day.”
Russell noted that in his team’s two victories that it hit the ball hard and forced its opponents to make errors.
“We hit the ball hard and we did what we had to do,” he said. “We put the ball in play.
“We have to hit the ball hard, put the ball in play. We have to force teams to make plays. And Addy pitched well. She threw strikes and as long as we play defense behind her, we’re going to be okay.”
Against Coalfield, Finstad was 2-for-4 and hit a home run. She had two RBIs and scored a run, while Kaycee Baldwin went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs and two RBIs.