PREP SOFTBALL: Fours wild for Fort

FISHERSVILLE — In a battle between future district foes, a strong Fort Defiance pitching effort combined with a four-run fourth inning put the Indians on top 11-1 on Wednesday afternoon.

“I would say about everybody had a contribution one-way or another,” said Fort Defiance coach Max Hill. “They took care of the problem they needed to at the beginning. I think they struggled at first. They took care of it and the score shows that.”

Fort Defiance’s Payton Hill took a no-hitter into the fourth inning before surrendering the only two Wilson hits of the game.

The Indians scored four runs in the fourth inning to break the game open. A discrepancy in the visitor’s scorebook showed Fort Defiance scoring five runs in the inning, winning the game 12-1, but the home team’s scorebook only credited four in the inning.

Wilson struggled in the field for most of the day, giving up five errors, with four leading to Indian runs.

“Our bats weren’t here today,” said Wilson coach Maura Stout. “A couple of errors hurt us and [Fort] hit the ball. If we make errors and they hit the ball that doubles it up. When you don’t hit the ball and make errors that’s what the score ends up.”

Payton Hill took the win for Fort after allowing two hits and striking out seven. Wilson’s lone run came in the fourth when Molly Huss crossed the plate after the Indians committed their only error of the game.

Jessica Hogle relieved Payton Hill in the fifth, facing the minimum nine batters while never allowing another hit and striking out two.

“It wasn’t our best defensive effort [in the field] … pitching wise, they threw great,” Max Hill said. “I like the way they are hitting their spots. Payton goes in and hits her spots then, when she gets done, [Hogle] amps it up and adds heat on it, so it goes from fast to faster. That helps a lot.”

The Indians’ Brooke Sigrist started things off, scoring the first run of the game after reaching home on a passed ball. Fort added one more run in the second after Lindsey Shifflett hit a triple and was plated by a Jessica Clifton sacrifice fly to right.

In the fourth Sigrist, Aislinn Lucas, Hogle and Nicole Heinrich all scored for the Indians.

Fort scored four more runs in the sixth and added one in the seventh.

Wilson’s Katie Grimm took the loss for the Green Hornets, pitching all seven innings while giving up eight hits with four strikeouts.

Next season, Wilson will move up to Group AA and will join Fort Defiance in the Southern Valley District.

“It’s hard to put it lightly, we just need to improve,” Stout said. “I don’t think it matters if they are double A. I don’t think it matters if they are better than some of the teams in our district this year. It’s just timing and making our girls have that confidence they need.”

Wednesday’s was Wilson’s final non-district game of the season.

“I think we can use this game as a jump-off point to change our aggressiveness in the box and go into district knowing that we can play,” Stout said.

The Green Hornets travel to Stonewall today in the Shenandoah District opener. Fort Defiance (9-1, 2-0 Southern Valley) will continue its Southern Valley District schedule today, traveling to Rockbridge.