WEST POINT — Too many mistakes plus too much Jett Harrell equaled a one-sided loss for the Oak Hill Academy softball team Monday.
Harrell, who will pitch next year at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, allowed two hits and a walk while striking out 10 as Lee Academy handed the Raiders a 14-0 defeat at Kim Keller Field.
“They faced a good pitcher tonight,” Oak Hill coach Lewis Earnest said. “She had some pop, threw pretty hard. And she threw strikes. She threw an off-speed pitch, too, for strikes.”
That combination proved too much for the Raiders offense, which consisted of an infield single by Ruth Andrews in the second and a single by Mason Conn off of the outstretched glove of Fillies second baseman Nyriah Artist in the fourth. Only two runners reached second base: Andrews took second on a bad throw, while Raylee Craven walked and moved up on a passed ball in the first.
Other than that, Harrell was dominant. She retired the last nine batters she faced, striking out the side in the fifth, and struck out each Oak Hill batter at least once.
Meanwhile, the Raiders seemed out of sorts when they were in the field. Mental mistakes plagued them throughout the game, starting with failing to cover first base on a sacrifice by the second batter of the game that led to a three-run first inning.
“Last two games we haven’t played defense, had a bunch of errors,” Earnest said. “Not knowing what you’re going to do when the ball’s hit to you, not thinking ahead. That’s what I talked to them about out there (after the game). You’ve got to be prepared.”
Despite the score, Oak Hill pitcher Sara Francis Ramsey didn’t pitch that badly until a five-run seventh, but even that inning included back-to-back infield errors, two of the six the Raiders committed. She struck out six and walked four — each of which led to a run — and allowed just one extra-base hit..
But ground balls off the Fillies’ bats kept finding holes, soft fly balls kept falling in, and one team looked sharp while the other looked lost much of the night.
“They haven’t played enough ball,” Earnest said of his players. “They don’t get to play travel ball, they don’t have a lot of experience, and it’s showing up. When you play a good team, it will show up.”
But Earnest, back in the dugout for his first season in West Point since retiring after 26 years, is enjoying coaching the Raiders (2-2) and does not expect the season to include more games such as Monday’s.
“They work hard,” he said. “We’ve just got to get some more under our belts, get some more time out here.”
The Raiders will be back in action Thursday at Columbus Christian Academy.
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