On a cold morning April 20, the NDCL Lions softball team turned up the heat to defeat the Beaumont Blue Streaks, 7-2, at home.
Game photos click here.
On a cold morning April 20, the NDCL Lions softball team turned up the heat to defeat the Beaumont Blue Streaks, 7-2, at home.
Beaumont took an early lead when the opponents scored two runs in the top of the first inning.
However, the Lions, behind the stellar pitching of Alex Mould, did not allow another run the rest of the game, then scored seven over the next six and a half innings to claim the victory.
Leading the way for the Lions offensively were seniors Lucy Joyce and Celia Anthony.
Post-game, Joyce and Anthony provided their thoughts about the excellent performances they both had at the plate.
Joyce said her strategy at the plate was to go after the first pitch, but if she did not get the right pitch, she waited for a pitch that she liked.
This worked well, as Joyce was 3-3 with two doubles, a walk and 3 RBI.
Anthony, who was 3-4 on the day, was happy with how she performed at the plate. She said she has been working on her swing at practice, so it was good to see that practice pay off.
After trailing early in the game, Joyce and Anthony would help the Lions make a quick comeback as they both put pressure on Beaumont’s defense right away.
In the first inning, Joyce doubled to center field to drive in the Lions’ first run of the game.
NDCL took the lead in the third inning when the home team scored three runs to make the score 4-2.
In the third inning, Alexander had a triple and Joyce doubled to ignite the Lions’ offense, while pitcher Alex Mould singled to drive in two runs.
Then, in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Lions had the big hit of the game when freshman shortstop Lily Rader hit a home run over the right-field fence to make the score 5-2.
Post-game, Rader said her approach at the plate is to get a base hit and help drive in runs. She also emphasized that she looks to hit the first pitch if it is good — and that is exactly what she did. In the fourth inning, Raber hit the first pitch she saw over the right-field fence.
“I saw it come off the bat and I’m like, ‘Please, please go over the fence,” she said. “And then I watched it go over and that was like the biggest relief, a lot of weight off my shoulders.
“My coach was really happy about it, and my teammates were just so excited for me because they know how bad I wanted to do something like that.”
The Lions added a second run in the fourth on an RBI single by Joyce to make the score 6-2, and their final run came in the bottom of the fifth.
In addition to its excellent offense, NDCL’s pitching was phenomenal.
After throwing a combined no-hitter with Rader four days earlier in a 16-1 victory over Lake Catholic, and only giving up one earned run two days earlier against Wickliffe, Mould continued her dominance on the mound against the Blue Streaks. Pitching a complete game, she gave up only three hits and striking out 12 batters.
Her success, she said, was related to her confidence.
“I felt really confident pitching, and it let me play the best that I could,” Mould said. “After the first inning, I was feeling really good about my pitches.”
The Lions return to the diamond April 22 when they host the Walsh Jesuit Warriors.
