RABBITTOWN — For sure there were those that were concerned with the ultimate outcome -- a 9-2 East Hall win over Cherokee Bluff in girls softball -- but for the fans, players, and coaches at East Hall Park Thursday just being able to witness a live sporting event was victory enough for everyone involved.
“It was one of the best feelings we could get just being out here,” East Hall coach Anuel Burce said after the game. “After just practicing and conditioning and not really able to do much else, this gives us a little bit of normalcy. I think we all needed that.”
The game was the season-opener for both programs. Normally that elicits excitement in and of itself. But in the age of COVID-19, it represented the first positive sign that sports could finally be on the way back. A huge crowd for a softball opener also seemed ready for some action.
“It was great to see all the people that came out. I think that got us hyped up. It was awesome,” said junior East Hall pitcher Callie Hardison. “We’ve been waiting for this for two months. I really wasn’t sure if we would come out and play but after the first inning it started to seem like normal.”
As far as the actual game, it was your typical season opener. Both teams got some good pitching at times, some timely hits, and both made some untimely mistakes in the field.
Both teams came into Thursday's opener following program-best seasons in 2019. The Lady Vikings tallied 26 wins and finished in the top six in Class 3A while the Lady Bears snagged 19 victories and their first-ever playoff berth.
Bluff’s Hannah Miller collected the first hit of the season in Hall County with a single to lead off the game but was doubled off on the next batter. But the Lady Bears later recorded the first run of the season when Clarissa McDaniel doubled to start the second and scored on a fielder’s choice by Emma Anzaldi. They added another on an East Hall error for a 2-0 lead in the second.
The Lady Vikings scratched back a run in the bottom of the second and plated two in the third on two hits and a pair of Lady Bears’ errors to take a 3-2 lead after three innings. The highlight came when Alexis Burce walked and then scored from first on a beautiful bunt hit by Gracie Ausborn that was aided by a Bluff error on the play. In the fourth they had a chance to break it open but left the bases loaded.
Hardison and Bluff’s Thalia Ragone both settled down from there in the circle into the late innings. Hardison retired seven in a row into the sixth while Ragone allowed just two runners into the sixth and got a double play from her defense to end the fifth.
But Ragone ran out of gas in the bottom of the sixth. East Hall plated six runs in the frame to put the game out of reach.
Ausborn again drove in Burce with a RBI single. Ausborn scored on a RBI double to center by Hardison and she scored on a double to left by Callie Dale. Brooke Hewell knocked in Dale with a bloop single to right and both Hewell and Abi Mullins came around to score on a single to left by Elvie Armour for a 9-2 lead.
Hardison retired the Lady Bears in order in the seventh to cap the complete-game win.
“For a first game everyone usually starts off a little slow with some nerves and with a young team there was some of that,” Burce said. “But for the younger girls It was good to come out and get a win and get a game under their belts.”
http://accesswdun.com/article/2020/8/926982/softball-a-little-bit-of-normalcy-as-east-hall-bluff-open-2020-season