WEST POINT — What started as a tight pitching battle turned into a high-scoring affair on Monday night as the West Point High School softball team lost 16-7 to Kemper County in a cold Monday night clash.

“The girl on the mound was really good, probably the best pitcher we’ve seen all season,” Green Wave coach Nathan Ellis said. “I think we just got shell-shocked a little bit and just didn’t get to them early. Our girls fought but just had some errors here and there and didn’t score as much, but that’s part of it.”

The top of the fourth inning proved decisive. The Wildcats loaded the bases, scored a run on a walk and then hit an inside-the-park grand slam for a five-run lead. The hit went deep into right field and landed in just the right spot to give the runners enough time to get home, with the hitter arriving just in time to beat the tag at the plate. 

“She hit it, and It just landed in the perfect spot for that, and they’re a team that had the speed to get all the way around the bases.”

The grand slam paved the way for even more runs as the Wildcats managed to score in each of the remaining three innings. Even as the home side got their bats going, they couldn’t manage to stop the bleeding and suffered their third loss of the season. 

West Point has a Thursday game against West Lowndes before taking time off during spring break. The Green Wave will begin district play against New Hope on march 24.

“We’ve got a young team, but we’re growing and getting better every single day,” Ellis said. “We just gotta keep working.”