Lady Hurricanes Start Season Strong

The Monticello Lady Hurricane softball program began the 2024 season with a two game set against the Lady Rams of Newton High. Both meetings were junior varsity (JV)/varsity doubleheaders, and all four games were won by the Lady Canes.

In the season opener, the JV picked up the win in the first game, 12-1. The team scored early and often, putting up three runs in the bottom half of the first inning, followed by a five run explosion in the second, and four more runs in the bottom half of the third and final inning of play. The 12 runs scored were manufactured by only six hits, as the pitching from the Lady Rams assisted with six walks and four more batters being hit-by-pitch.

Freshman Jazmin Maddox started the scoring with a fence banging double that brought in leadoff batter Alainah Galimore and Gracie Roper, who had walked to lead off the Lady Canes. After Newton put across a run in the top of the first, Monticello answered back, plating five on four hits. The JV squad scored four more in the bottom of the third to close it out.

Leading the way for the JV ladies were eighth grader Galimore, who scored three runs and was 1 of 1 with a double at the plate; Roper, who crossed the dish three times as well after being hit twice by Lady Ram pitches, and reaching on the aforementioned walk. Maddox finished the day with three runs batted in (RBI), and freshman Madison Miller also contributed three RBI with a 1 for 2 performance at the plate.

The varsity’s game started in much the same manner, with the Canes’ bats coming alive. Pushing across four runs in the bottom half of the first, the rout was on. After a walk to lead off the game by Hailey Roper, freshman Kamryn Davis hit a deep triple to left field that scored Roper. A walk to pitcher Emily Whitwell put runners on first and third, and Whitwell promptly stole second on the first pitch to the next batter, Kelsey Vining. She hit a looping fly ball to center that scored both runs, and allowed the ladies to take a 3-0 lead. Vining came around to score after a Newton error on a pop-up by sophomore Kaylee Gentes to put the fourth run of the inning across.

In the top of the second, Whitwell found her rhythm in the circle. After hitting the leadoff batter, she commenced to striking out the next three on ten pitches, making quick work of the Newton offensive effort. In the bottom half of the inning, the Lady Canes added on two more, with a shot down the left field line for a triple by Vining driving in Roper and Whitwell.

In the next inning, Whitwell was able to do some damage from the plate as well, lofting a 1-0 pitch high and deep to left field for a two-run homer. The inning started off with Madelyn Taylor reaching on a deep double to left, and after the second out of the inning, Roper hit a line drive to left for another double, scoring Taylor, and Davis stroked her second triple of the evening, this time to right field.

After a scoreless bottom half of the fourth, the Lady Canes ended the game by run rule in the bottom half of the fifth. Roper led off with a triple to centerfield, and Davis again came up big, this time slapping a sharp single to third. Roper was off on contact, and scored without a throw to end the game.

On Monday the Lady Canes visited Newton for game two. Unlike the first game, dominated by walks and hit batters, on Monday the bats of the JV Canes were able to come alive and do some damage.

The Monticello ladies were able to plate 16 runs courtesy of 13 hits (along with seven walks and four more batters being hit). Galimore led the way again in the circle, throwing two hitless innings, walking two and striking out three. Addi Powell finished the final inning of the run-ruled game with a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.

At the plate, Galimore, Miller, Ivy Campbell, Anna Grace Parham, and Powell had two hits apiece, with Kayle McCart, Annie Beard, and Cheyenne Hattaway with one hit. McCart and Parham each drove in three runs, and every player scored at least once in the victory.

For the varsity game, which was won by a margin of 12-2 by the Lady Canes, the first inning started out a little slower than the opening game, but by the second inning the bats came alive and six runs were pushed across courtesy of four hits and a couple of Lady Ram errors.

Taylor drove in Roper on a blooper to second which the second baseman attempted to catch but could not reach. Kam Davis drove in Kylee Schell, who had hit into a fielder’s choice earlier in the inning, and Taylor came around to score on an error by the right fielder.

After a double steal by Roper and Davis, Roper scored on an error by the shortstop on the play. This brought the score to 4-0, with the bats still going. Whitwell came up and stroked a hard line drive to center and utilized her speed to turn it into a triple, driving in Davis. A passed ball allowed Whitwell to score, running the margin up to 6-0.

Single runs in the bottom of the second and third allowed Newton to cut into the lead and cut the score to 6-2, but the bats came back alive in the fourth, getting those two runs back and increasing the lead back to a six run margin at 8-2.

The final margin was decided in the top of the fifth, with four consecutive batters reaching base to start the scoring parade. G. Roper singled to lead off, followed by a line drive single by Schell to center that moved Roper to third. After a walk by Taylor loaded the bases, H. Roper singled to left and drove her sister in for the first run of the inning.

After a pop-out, Whitwell singled hard to right, with Arlie Moore, who was courtesy running for Schell, coming across to score on the play. Vining then came up big again, driving a line drive double to left, and scoring both Taylor and H. Roper for the final margin.

The varsity Lady Canes have a big weekend ahead, traveling to Thomaston to play in a tournament this Friday and Saturday at Upson-Lee. On Friday, they will face Taylor County at 4 p.m. and on Saturday they will matchup against Upson-Lee at 10 a.m. and Crawford County at noon.

The next home game for the softball squad will be Tuesday, August 13 when they host the Griffin Bears, followed by a doubleheader next Thursday, August 15 against Warner Robins. The JV will be back in action on August 17 when they host the JV squad from Spalding High in a doubleheader.

Come out and support your Lady Canes!