Pioneers stay perfect with softball victory over John Battle
BRISTOL, Va. – Lebanon High School’s softball team is undefeated, unscored upon and so far unstoppable.
Madison Varney and Haley Finney homered, while Morgan Hamm pitched a one-hitter as the perfect Pioneers posted a 10-0 non-district victory over the John Battle Trojans on Tuesday night.
Lebanon (4-0) has outscored Sullivan East, James River, Northside and John Battle by an aggregate count of 49-0 in opening the season in style.
“We’ve got off to a good start and we’re thankful,” said Lebanon coach Dennis Price. “We’re seeing the ball well and have got some big hits at big times.”
Lebanon wasted little time in getting started on Tuesday, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning as Varney, Adrienne Morrison and Kayla Bollinger collected RBI hits.
Varney went deep in the third inning, while Finney jumpstarted a five-run sixth inning with a no-doubt solo blast.
In total, Lebanon pounded out 11 hits off John Battle senior pitcher Sydney Bailey, a King University signee.
“We take a lot of swings in practice,” Varney said. “We’ve just really been on fire this year.”
Having a 3-0 lead before Hamm had thrown a pitch was a plus.
“It definitely put some pressure on them and got the nerves out a little bit for us,” Varney said.
Hamm struck out six, got 14 groundball outs and worked around five walks and a hit batter.
“It wasn’t my best performance, but I’ll take it,” Hamm said. “I knew this was going to be a good hitting team coming into the game and I really had to focus on the bus ride on the way over. They’ve always kind of been our rivals.”
Battle stranded eight baserunners against Hamm.
“Defensively, not just this game, but all our games, when the other team’s had runners in scoring position, we’ve just done a great job of making the plays we’ve had to make and making the pitches we’ve had to make,” Price said. “That’s a good sign, of course.”
Hamm, the winning pitcher against Central-Woodstock in the 2016 VHSL 1A state championship game as a ninth-grader, is not easily rattled.
“Once she gets going, it seems like she just gets better and better as the game goes on,” Price said. “She pitched a good game tonight against a good team.”
Battle’s only hit came via Maggie Deel’s one-out single in the fourth inning. The Trojans left a runner stranded on third base on three occasions.
“We had some opportunities to score some runs, but Lebanon showed why it’s one of the best teams in the state,” said Battle coach Eric Senter. “They have got all kinds of confidence, all kinds of good athletes. They are all young and hungry. We just didn’t play very well.”
Battle (2-1) committed four errors in suffering its first loss of the season.
“We’re just not a very good team right now,” Senter said. “I think we can be a little more competitive than what we showed tonight, but Lebanon showed its power. We’ll go back and practice a little more and try to get better for the rest of the season.”
Lebanon – which does not have a single senior on its roster – has been unmatched in March.
“It’s early and we know that,” Price said. “We know it’s a process and it’s a long way [until the postseason], but we’re thankful for the way it’s started.”
BRISTOL, Va. – Lebanon High School’s softball team is undefeated, unscored upon and so far unstoppable.
Madison Varney and Haley Finney homered, while Morgan Hamm pitched a one-hitter as the perfect Pioneers posted a 10-0 non-district victory over the John Battle Trojans on Tuesday night.
Lebanon (4-0) has outscored Sullivan East, James River, Northside and John Battle by an aggregate count of 49-0 in opening the season in style.
“We’ve got off to a good start and we’re thankful,” said Lebanon coach Dennis Price. “We’re seeing the ball well and have got some big hits at big times.”
Lebanon wasted little time in getting started on Tuesday, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning as Varney, Adrienne Morrison and Kayla Bollinger collected RBI hits.
Varney went deep in the third inning, while Finney jumpstarted a five-run sixth inning with a no-doubt solo blast.
In total, Lebanon pounded out 11 hits off John Battle senior pitcher Sydney Bailey, a King University signee.
“We take a lot of swings in practice,” Varney said. “We’ve just really been on fire this year.”
Having a 3-0 lead before Hamm had thrown a pitch was a plus.
“It definitely put some pressure on them and got the nerves out a little bit for us,” Varney said.
Hamm struck out six, got 14 groundball outs and worked around five walks and a hit batter.
“It wasn’t my best performance, but I’ll take it,” Hamm said. “I knew this was going to be a good hitting team coming into the game and I really had to focus on the bus ride on the way over. They’ve always kind of been our rivals.”
Battle stranded eight baserunners against Hamm.
“Defensively, not just this game, but all our games, when the other team’s had runners in scoring position, we’ve just done a great job of making the plays we’ve had to make and making the pitches we’ve had to make,” Price said. “That’s a good sign, of course.”
Hamm, the winning pitcher against Central-Woodstock in the 2016 VHSL 1A state championship game as a ninth-grader, is not easily rattled.
“Once she gets going, it seems like she just gets better and better as the game goes on,” Price said. “She pitched a good game tonight against a good team.”
Battle’s only hit came via Maggie Deel’s one-out single in the fourth inning. The Trojans left a runner stranded on third base on three occasions.
“We had some opportunities to score some runs, but Lebanon showed why it’s one of the best teams in the state,” said Battle coach Eric Senter. “They have got all kinds of confidence, all kinds of good athletes. They are all young and hungry. We just didn’t play very well.”
Battle (2-1) committed four errors in suffering its first loss of the season.
“We’re just not a very good team right now,” Senter said. “I think we can be a little more competitive than what we showed tonight, but Lebanon showed its power. We’ll go back and practice a little more and try to get better for the rest of the season.”
Lebanon – which does not have a single senior on its roster – has been unmatched in March.
“It’s early and we know that,” Price said. “We know it’s a process and it’s a long way [until the postseason], but we’re thankful for the way it’s started.”
