Lady Hornets Split Week
By Laurie-Jean B. Gauthier

The South Royalton Royals won their 10^th game of the season with a 4-1 finish in Bethel on Tuesday, over the Lady Hornets.

The Hornets got the best of the Royals in the first inning with a double play off lead-off batter Chelsea Wilmot and second batter Emily Brock when Wilmot singled and moved over twice. She then rested on third before attempting to score off Brock’s bunt that was fielded to Tia McKenna at first for out number one, and then sent to catcher Maggie Eddy, who tagged Wilmot for out number two. A fly by Logan Russell ended the top before Brock eliminated the top three Hornets.

SoRo loaded the bases in the third with Shanna Duffy, Emily Brock and Charlotte McCleary. Jane Manby reached on error and brought Duffy in. The Hornets stranded the runners with a strike-out to end the inning, as the Royals made light work of the Hornets in the bottom with another three-up and three-down inning and maintained their one-run lead.

In the sixth inning South Royalton scored three runs. Jordan Flint walked but left early and was called out at the start. Brita VanFossen walked, as did Shanna Duffy, which gave the Royals another run when VanFossen crossed the plate on a wild throw. A hit by Chelsea Wilmot scored Duffy, and Brock scored Wilmot with a second centerfield poke. Whitcomb retired the third out on a throw to first. Three batters and three outs later South Royalton held the lead at 4-0.

In the bottom of the seventh Whitcomb’s lead-off batter Molly Taylor tripled to left field as the Hornets attempted to erase the shut-out effort. Chelsie Brown’s RBI brought in Taylor to make it happen. Unfortunately that’s where it ended for the Hornets as Brown was out at first for out number one followed by strike-outs for outs numbers two and three.

Brock struck out 11 batters and allowed only one hit and no walks Wright and Taylor combined for nine strike-outs. The Hornets now stand at 7-3 while South Royalton stands at 10-1.

Win Over Concord

The Hornets traveled to Concord and faced the Wildcats Monday and defeated their hosts 11-4 for their fourth consecutive win of the season.

Freshman Virginia Wortman made her starting pitching debut, going four innings before Taylor took over the mound for the last three innings. With the score tied 4-all Whitcomb scored seven runs in the seventh before Taylor fired off three strike-outs in the bottom for the victory. Hornets Allison Turner, Brown, Eddy and Allison Richards all earned RBIs in the seventh.

Whitcomb faces the Wildcats in Bethel tomorrow, then travels to Ludlow Monday, May 21 and then welcomes the BMU Bucks Tuesday before hosting "Senior Recognition" against the D-III Rivendell Raptors Friday, May 25.

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