Lady Jays start season with a parade of hits

The Guthrie softball program began their season on the right path with two convincing wins Tuesday evening.

Trista LeGrande gets out of the way of a pitch at a home scrimmage earlier this year. Photo By Chris Evans

The Lady Jays were on the road to begin the season and one thing is for certain they brought their swinging sticks with them with a 16-2 win over Chisholm and shutting out Blackwell 9-0.

Second year head coach Lee Linsenmeyer was pleased with his team’s performance with 25 runs in just seven innings of play. In those seven innings, Guthrie collected 26 hits.

“It was a good stepping stone to the season,” Linsenmeyer said. “We hit the ball well, but we did have some base running mistakes that we will need to correct.”

Pitching ace Bailey Shaffer collected both wins in the circle and combined for 11 strike outs while not allowing a single run in her seven innings of work on the evening.

Guthrie jumped out quickly on Chisholm by scoring 12 runs in the first inning and adding four more in the second. Due to the three inning run-rule, the Lady Jays were held to two innings offensively.

However, in those two innings, Guthrie had five hitters collect at least two hits. Leading the way was Madison Dutton’s 3-3 outing with three runs scored and three RBI’s. Shaffer, Madison Sutton, McKale Hopfer and Samantha Simpson each collected two hits each.

Simpson added three RBI’s while Sutton, Hopfer and Nicole Nontz each brought in two runs. Aryn Richardson added in the fun with a hit, run scored and RBI.

In the five-inning run-rule of Blackwell, the Lady Jays added two runs each in the first three innings to set the tone. A three run spot in the fifth inning was good enough to secure the fast ending.

Three different Lady Jays finished with multiple hits, including Dani Graybeal, who finished 3-4 with two runs and a RBI. Hopfer and Dutton each collected two hits and a RBI.

Sutton, Simpson, Shaffer, Trista LeGrande, Cameron Jenkins and Kaycie Carroll each added a hit.

Guthrie opens district play when they travel to McGuinness on Thursday for a 5 p.m. first pitch. The junior varsity will follow at approximately 6:30.

The home schedule will begin Friday with Putnam City beginning at 5 p.m.