MINT HILL, NC – The Mint Hill Fury our hometown American Legion Lady Fastpitch Softball team is back in action on the diamond after a two week layoff. They appeared not to have lost a step based on their performance against a solid Kannapolis team.
We won both ends of a doubleheader 7-4 and 8-7 in extra innings in the nightcap in a back and forth ball game with lost of excitement and plenty of action.
In the first game, Mint Hill took a 1-0 lead in the second when Midori Walkup had a good at-bat and earned a base-on-balls, with Walkup in motion, Ava Williams hit a ground ball out, advancing Walkup to second base, Kimber Mulkey grounded out to second base moving the runner to third, Walkup would eventually score on a wild pitch.
In the third inning, Kannapolis would tie the game off of Fury starter Taylor Houseton. However, in the bottom half of the frame, Post 555 would explode for 6 runs to take a commanding 7-1 lead. Jamie Hearn led off with a single, Mikenna Williams singled, Emma Bosquet drilled a double into the right center field cap scoring the runners for 2 RBI’s, Houseton followed with a single driving in Bosquet, MacKenzie Grant singles, putting runners on first and second, then the big blow came when Midori Walkup would smash a 3-run homer deep over the left field fence for 3 RBI’s to cap off all the scoring.
Kannapolis was able to scratch another run off of Houseton in the fourth, and a couple of unearned runs in the fifth and final frame before the win was recorded improving the teams record to 9-5 during the regular season.
In the nightcap, with Ciara Farrar on the mound Kannapolis was able to take a 3-0 lead. Only one run was earned, a couple of miscues on the field gave the visitors the early advantage. However, in the bottom frame, Mint Hill bounced back with 2 runs of their own. Williams walked, with one out, Houseton would power a high riser clearing the left-field fence with plenty of distance for homerun making the game 3-2 after one inning.
In the second frame, Post 555 would strike again when Hearn would hit a hard drive to left field that was misplayed as the ball bounced off the outfielders glove, Olivia Baker singled, Williams walked loading up the bases, then Bosquet would drill a drive into the left field gap, driving in all three runs to empty the bases, then Houseton would hit a sacrifice fly scoring Bosquet from third base to complete scoring. The Fury now had a 6-3 lead after just two innings of play.
There was no scoring until the top of the fifth, when relief pitcher Ava Williams entered the game for Mint Hill, with two outs and two runners on base, Kaylee Yow would connect on a long fly that would sail over the fence for a home run to tie the score at 6.
In the seventh inning, Kannapolis would scratch and claw a run to take a 7-6 lead. However, the Fury are a resilient bunch, Williams reached first base, Bosquet singled to right-center, but thought Williams who rounded the second base bag was heading to third, she held up on the hard-hit ball, Bosquet was caught half-way between first and second, she was called out sliding headfirst back into first on a very controversial call. Williams then advanced to third base on a wild pitch, followed by another Houseton hit to tie the ball game. Houseton suddenly breaks for second on an apparent hit-and-run, and Mackenzie Grant delivers and slams a walk-off double into the left center field gap, with the ball rolling to the fence, Houseton makes a clean turn inside the third base bag, and heads home full steam like a freight train, slides ahead of the relay throw in a cloud of dust for the winning run and securing the sweep.
The final two regular-season games will be at home, they are a doubleheader rainout make up from July 1st with Rowan County. The playoff schedule will be announced once the teams receive their seed in the upcoming tournament shortly.
