MOUNT VERNON — Mother Nature’s weepy nature couldn’t dampen the spirits of the players and fans gathered at Legacy Field on a soggy Friday night.
The Mount Vernon girls’ softball team shrugged off those conditions to drub Watkins Memorial 10-4.
Yellow Jackets’ slugger Hailey Rudrick drilled two home runs to key the comeback win.
Trailing 4-1 in the third inning, Mount Vernon took advantage of an error when the Warriors’ catcher misplayed a foul pop-up. On the next pitch, the Mount Vernon backstop sent the ball over the left-centerfield fence.
Jocelyn Scarbury followed by smacking a gapper for a double and the extra-base hit brigade was ignited with an ensuing triple. The three-run, game-tying eruption all came with two outs.
“I just tried to keep my eyes down instead of looking up, and trying to see one coming down the middle,” Rudrick said. “(Both homers) felt really good and when I looked up, they were already gone.
“Every day is a new day, I feel like we deserved it. We have worked really hard to get here.”
The Jackets added another four runs and by the end of the fifth inning owned a commanding 8-4 lead.
In the top of the sixth with one out and runners on first and second, Layla Joyner made a diving catch on a sharp line drive, alertly righted herself and threw a bullet to first base, catching the Warrior runner off base base for an inning-ending double play.
Coach, Ryan Pentz said his team needed to change the focus, facing a team with a record of 5-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play. Pentz admitted some concern trailing Watkins 4-1 early.
“Well, there was a bit of frustration among the team, and obviously among us, the coaching staff. We weren’t executing early,” he said. “We let the nerves of a big game and a big day get to us a bit.
“That’s the youth, though, isn’t it?”
While defense is critical in any game, the mentor believed the outcome would be determined at the plate.
“We made the adjustments we needed to make,” he said.
One of those adjustments might have been as simple as a few deep breaths.
“We just needed to calm ourselves down and play Jacket softball,” Pentz said. “I knew if we made our adjustments at the plate, we would put some runs on the board.”
Even though Mount Vernon was able to plate 10 runs, Pentz saw room for improvement.
“We were booting the ball around and overthrowing people,” he said. “We had too many errors.
“Jocelyn (Scarbury) threw a great game. I think they only had one earned run.”
Mount Vernon is now 1-0 in Licking County League play and 5-2 overall.
The Jackets will have no time to savor Friday’s win, as they travel to Johnstown Saturday morning. The Johnnies are 5-1-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play. The first pitch is set for 11 a.m.
