Lady Tigers clobber Cassville in season-opener, 13-3

Nevada Lady Tiger sophomore center fielder Bailey Ast connects on a pitch during Tuesday's season-opening victory over Cassville.

Submitted photo

It was a grand start to a new era of Nevada Lady Tiger softball on Tuesday, as first-year NHS head coach Danny Penn and company dispatched visiting Cassville, 13-3.

Nevada (1-0, 1-0 Big 8) struck first, plating three runs in the first, and tacked on two in the second. Nevada then led 6-0 after scratching across a run in the third.

The Lady Tigers broke the contest wide-open in the fourth, exploding for a six-run frame. The inning was highlighted by run-scoring base-hits off the bats of Claire Pritchett, Bailey Ast, Kirstin Buck, and Maleigha Hinton — as Nevada opened a 12-0 lead.

Cassville dodged being run-ruled in the top of the fifth, pushing across three runs against NHS senior staff-ace Maggie Leisure, and trailed 12-3.

The Lady Tigers replied in the home-half of the fifth, as Pritchett's RBI base-knock put the contest on ice, handing Nevada the five-inning run-rule victory.

After posting a 6-4 record, to go along with a 2.96 ERA last season, Leisure continued to display her ace-like abilities, notching the complete-game victory.

"Maggie did a good job of working ahead," Penn said. "She had a really good feel for her change- up tonight, and used it effectively. Even in the fifth inning when (Cassville) scored three, only one ball was hit hard, — they were just finding holes."

Penn said he was pleased with his club's defensive effort, as the Lady Tigers' lone error came in the fifth.

"We had some nice plays in the field, highlighted by Bailey Ast's running catch at the fence in center field," he said.

For Nevada, junior shortstop Tylin Heathman finished 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI.

"Offensively, we didn't look sharp our first time through the lineup," Penn noted. "We weren't letting pitches get to us, so a lot of weak contact. We did a good job of adjusting, and had much better swings from that point forward. Claire and Tylin had good offensive games, (and) Kirstin had a big two-run double off the fence in center field."

Said Penn: "It was a nice start to the season, and we'll look to build on that Thursday."

Up next

The Lady Tigers square off with Reeds Spring in a Big 8 Conference road-matchup, Thursday at 4:30 p.m.