By Robert Morgan | Published Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Decatur High School softball team needed to find a way to avoid a season sweep by Vernon Monday night in order to stay in the playoff race for the third and final spot.
However, the Lions did not let the Lady Eagles find much offensive life for the second time this season. Vernon scored four unearned runs in the first two innings and held on to beat Decatur, 5-2, in Wise County.
The Lions scored all of their runs in the first five outs of the game. Two errors and three singles were enough to build a lead that was safe the rest of the way.
Vernon used a pair of walks in the first inning to set up its first score of the game on a single. The Lions scored two runs on a DHS throwing error to make it a 3-0 ball game.
With two outs in the second inning, the Lions used an error and two RBI singles to score twice and take a 5-0 lead.
Decatur pitcher Karen Harris was solid the rest of the way, and her defense stepped up and played error-free in the final five innings.
The Lady Eagles rode the bats of four freshmen at the bottom of the batting order to score and erase the shut out. Vicki Mayo, who played in her first varsity game after being promoted from the JV team, started the third inning with a two-out single to left field.
Freshman Ciara Currin followed with a blast to second base that was misplayed, and she was safe at first. Freshman Leah Andriotto blasted a two-run single to center field to score Currin and Mayo and make it a 5-2 ball game.
Vernon only threatened to score one more time and that came in the fifth inning where it used two walks and a single to load the bases. Harris, however, struck out one batter and forced a grounder to escape the inning.
Decatur had base runners in the final four innings but never managed to push one home. Harris worked her way to third base in the fourth inning but was stranded following a pair of ground outs.
