By Charles Prince

The North Jefferson News



On Tuesday night, Gardendale senior pitcher Beth Erwin proved how simple the game of softball can be. If the other team doesn’t score, your team can’t lose. Erwin kept the visiting Curry Lady Yellow Jackets from scoring and almost kept them from hitting at all as she fired a one-hitter to lead Gardendale to a 10-0 win.

Erwin walked one and allowed only a lone single to open the top of the fifth inning as she improved to 5-2 this year.

“I just pitched like I usually do and Taylor (Powell) called a great game behind the plate,” Erwin said. “I just threw what she called. They were hitting it up and down, but they weren’t getting any solid hits.”

“Beth did exactly what we asked her to do,” Gardendale head coach Brad Myrick said. “Our defense was solid and didn’t make an error and

Beth made the hitters put it on the ground or hit it at somebody. With Beth throwing the one-hitter, I think this was the best game she’s thrown so far this year. Really she’s been pitching well for us the whole season.”

The Lady Rockets (12-8) scored one run in the first, one in the second and broke the game open with six runs in the third inning.

Erwin helped her own cause as she scored three runs even though she didn’t collect a hit. She walked three times and came around to score each time.

Kendall Thomas went 3-for-4 with one run scored. Kellie Johnson went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Delena Kennedy went 2-for-2 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Emily Dodson went 1-for-3 and scored a run. Kayla Estes went 1-for-2 with a triple and scored a run and Lindsay Blakey scored one run.

In all, the Lady Rockets collected eight hits, seven walks and another reached when hit by a pitch.

“We might be coming out of our hitting slump,” Myrick said. “We’ve been saying if we can get seven, eight or nine hits a game, we’re giving ourselves a chance to win. Maybe last night (seven runs against Corner) and today mean that we’re starting to get our bats going.”