By Kyle Roberts
MONROE, La. — Ruston High (4-2) grabbed two out of three games in the Polar Bear Softball Classic with an opening night win and then the second game of a double-header on Saturday.
Despite the loss in the middle, Ruston head coach Lauren Garvie was pleased overall with how well her team got the bat on the ball in the tournament.
“I think we hit really well this weekend,” Garvie said. “We came to the plate and looked for a lot of extra bases, and we got them. We ended up with six home runs over the weekend, so the girls showed off a little bit in that area. There’s still room for growth.”
Friday, Feb. 28 Ruston 19, Downsville 0
Ruston got all the runs it needed in just two innings, scoring nine the bottom of the first and then 10 in the bottom of the second to run-rule Downsville after the top of the third.
“We just got in a rhythm in this one,” Garvie said. “And it’s pretty hard to stop them once they get there. I even had to tell the girls to stop being so aggressive and take a beat to work on some things. But they just wanted to go and go and go — I mean that’s great.”
Junior Sage Tolar pitched two innings of a no-hitter, and freshman Skylar Bowers hopped in for a no-hit top of the third.
“Both of them pitched beautifully,” Garvie said.
Ruston freshman Aubrey Stoehr scored the first run after Tolar hit a single into center field. After getting to two outs, Ruston would add eight consecutive runs, starting with senior Jaiden Feeheley doubling to center and scoring Tolar. Sophomore Aubree Lohman then singled on a bunt to score Feehleley two batters later for a 3-0 lead. Senior Abby Holton then reached on an error that scored sophomore Jayla Spear, and sophomore Grace Underwood followed with a ground ball that scored Lohman to extend the lead to 5-0.
Stoehr then came back to single into center field and score Holton from second base. Following a Downsville pitching change, Underwood scored after an error by the catcher. Tolar then singled into center to score both Atwood and Stoehr for a 9-0 lead.
After amassing two early outs in the bottom of the second, Holton doubled into centerfield and scored freshman Za’Meriah Jones to go up 10-0. Three batters later, Atwood singled into center to score both freshman Skylar Bowers and Holton. Stoehr scored on the next at-bat after Tolar reached on an error by the shortstop to put Ruston up 13-0.
Atwood then scored after stealing home on an at-bat by senior Morgan Foster. Spears added a two-RBI single two batters later to score both Tolar and Foster and put Ruston up 16-0. Jones scored on the next at-bat after Lohman reached on an error, and junior Malena Listle doubled next up to left field, scoring Spears.
Ruston got the final run of the day after Bowers singled to short and scored Lohman for the 19-0 victory.
Stoehr, Tolar and Spears all had multiple hits in the win, while Tolar led the team with three RBI’s.
Saturday, March 1 Weston 8, Ruston 5/Ruston 13, Mangham 4
In the first game of a Saturday double-header, Ruston fell to the Weston Wolves 8-5.
“The girls were fully aware of this loss,” Garvie said. “We got back on the bus after that game, and the girls said “Yeah, Coach, we’re sorry.” We just got a little settled, but the girls know they’re better than that. It’s exciting to see the maturity out of that.”
Ruston took and early lead in the top of the first, with Tolar hitting a sacrifice fly in to right field to score Atwood from third. Foster hit a home run down the left field side to put the Lady Bearcats up 2-0.
Spears added a home run in the top of the second to center field, putting Ruston up 3-0.
After Weston tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the second inning, the Lady Wolves added five runs in the bottom of the fourth and go up 8-3.
Atwood would double in the bottom of the seventh inning to score both Underwood and Stoehr, but it would not be enough as Ruston would take the loss.
Both Spears and Foster would get solo home runs. Atwood led the team with two RBI in the loss.
Ruston immediately rebounded with a 13-4 win over Mangham, where the Lady Bearcats would get four home runs in the outing.
Ruston posted three runs in the bottom of the first, led off by Stoehr’s first of two home runs on the night to put Ruston up 1-0. The Lady Bearcats then scored on two consecutive steals at home, first by Atwood and then Tolar.
“We were very aggressive,” Garvie said. “Sage did a great job recognizing a ball was floating back to the pitcher, and she got a good beat and got in there for the run. We both saw the throw and Sage looked back and asked for the green light. She took it upon herself to do that, and it was great to see.”
The Lady Bearcats added two more runs in the bottom of the second on a line drive single that scored both Holton and Underwood. Tolar then homered in the bottom of the third to put Ruston up 6-0.
Atwood then hit a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth to score Stoehr from third base, and Atwood would cross the plate on the next at-bat after a center field single from Tolar, putting the Lady Bearcats ahead 8-0.
Mangham got all four of its runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut the lead to 8-4, but Ruston answered with a five run bottom half of the inning, started by a ground-out to short by Feeheley, which scored Spears and put the Lady Bearcats ahead 9-4.
Jones then singled two batters later to score Holton, and Stoehr followed with her second homer of the night and scored two more runs for a 12-4 lead. Atwood put the finishing touch on the night with a center field home run in the next at-bat for the 13-4 win.
Stoehr led the team with five RBI for the night, while Tolar had four hits in four appearances. Stoehr, Atwood and Holton all finished with multiple hits.
The Lady Bearcats return to action tonight and will host D’Arbonne Woods at home.
