Lady Longhorns remain unbeaten
Published 10:28 pm Tuesday, March 1, 2011
LINDEN — Marengo Academy (4-0) remained unscathed Tuesday while pitcher Jessica Brock worked around occasional struggles to lead the team to a 7-1 win over Wilcox.
“It’s still early in the season. She’s still getting into what I call game shape,” Marengo Academy head coach Danny Stenz said of his No. 1 starting pitcher.
The University of West Alabama signee worked seven innings, navigating around four hits, five walks and a plunked batter to allow only a single run.
Brock’s one scoreboard blemish came in the fourth inning when she walked the leadoff batter before allowing back-to-back hits to let Wilcox on the scoreboard.
After a brief conference with Stenz and her infielders in the pitcher’s circle, Brock settled down and struck out the next three batters she faced. In total, the senior fanned 14 Wilcox hitters in the game.
The Lady Longhorns did the bulk of their offensive damage in the bottom of the third inning when they erupted for six runs with the biggest blow coming in the the form of a two-RBI double off the bat of senior Jaime Johnson.
“She has come a long way from last year,” Stenz said of Johnson, one of only two seniors on the Lady Longhorn squad. “I think her being a senior has kind of made a difference. Her and Jessica (Brock) are just really good leaders.”
Johnson went 2-for-3 in the contest with a double, a triple and a run scored. Freshman Chandler Stenz went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Destiny Huckabee was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Reigning AISA Hitter of the Year Katie Tucker went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
Brock was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Reesa Holifield went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Caitlin Moore walked twice.
“We’re doing real well,” Stenz said of his team, which will play in a tournament in Butler this weekend. “We’ve got really good pitchers. We put the ball on the ground and use our speed.”
That formula helped the Lady Longhorns go undefeated in the Gator Classic at Clarke Prep over the weekend as the team downed Monroe Academy 8-1 Thursday before defeating Jackson 9-0 and Patrician 15-2 Saturday.