The Hampton-Dumont-CAL softball team had the early momentum but Forest City took it back with quality base running and a few big swings for a 13-2 win in five innings in a Class 3A regional quarterfinal on Thursday, as aired on 104.9 KLMJ.
HD-CAL scored two runs in the top of the first on a Malie Ott sacrifice fly RBI scoring Teaghan Bird and an Aspen Harlan RBI single scored Charlee Morton. Forest City took advantage of a few Bulldog errors rallying in the bottom of the first with five runs coming around to score with four being unearned. Forest City pulled away with a seven run 2nd inning, four of the runs in the inning made it home with two outs. The game changing swings in the inning for the Indians included a two RBI single and a two RBI triple.
Head Coach Kelsey Enslin says Forest City put the Bulldogs on their heels and learning how to battling back is an area of adjustment.
“We had a really good start, it felt really good and then overall we looked a step behind on defense and they were super aggressive,” says Enslin. “We knew their lead off batter is really good defensively and offensively. They caught us our heels alittle bit, we didn’t look ready to go. Stopping a situation that starts getting out of hand, looking for ways to step up, stop this and battle back. Just gaining confidence in the ability to do that.”
The Indians had five different players drive in a run. HD-CAL was led by Malie Ott and Aspen Harlan with an RBI apiece. Malie Ott worked four innings allowing eight earned runs with two strikeouts for the Bulldogs in the loss.
HD-CAL ends the year at 7-17.
Postgame with Kelsey Enslin: