Lady Jackets suffer first loss

Jeff Davis High’s softball team suffered its first loss of the season last Friday, falling 2-1 to Class 6A Effingham County in Springfield. But the Lady Jackets bounced back in a big way Monday, thrashing Pierce County 18-0 in Blackshear behind the no-hit pitching performance of sophomore Carrie Ellen Arnold. The games left the Lady Jackets with a 6-1 record while Effingham’s Lady Rebels improved to 6-2 and Pierce’s Lady Bears fell to 4-5.

Jeff Davis struggled at the plate against Effingham as they managed only three hits, singles by Jenna Miles, Laisha Hernandez and Ava Bohannon. Bohannon drove in the Lady Jackets’ only run in the top of the sixth inning, driving in Miles who had singled to lead off the inning.

Arnold took the loss but she did not give up an earned run as both of Effingham’s runs were aided by errors.

Jaqueline Villasenor took the mound in the third and finished the game.

Arnold pitched two innings, giving up two unearned runs on two hits, three walks and two strikeouts. Villasenor pitched four innings, blanking Effingham on three hits, no walks, a hit batter and four strikeouts.

The Lady Jacket bats exploded against Pierce County with a 14-hit attack, led by freshman Bohannon who was 4-for-5 with a homer and five RBI.

The second inning was a nightmare for the Lady Bears as Jeff Davis scored 12 runs, sending 18 players to the plate. And it could have been worse as the inning ending with the bases loaded with Lady Jackets.

Sophomore Claire Stinson had a single, a homer and four RBI in the inning. Senior Jenna Miles had a single, a double and two RBI, Bohannon singled twice, and Metts, Jazmine Villasenor and Arnold added singles. And the Lady Bears didn’t help themselves as there were two hit batters, two walks and three errors in the inning.

In the first inning, JD scored three runs on a 2-run single by Bohannon and a bases load hit by pitch by Bentlee Metts.

In the third, Jeff Davis added three more runs as Bohannon homered with two runners on base.

Backing up Bohannon’s 4-for-5, 5 RBI performance, were Miles with a single, two doubles and two RBI, Stinson with a single, a homer and four RBI, Metts with a single and two RBI, Arnold and Jazmine Villasenor with a single and an RBI each, and Kira Buford and Jaci Underwood with a single apiece.

Arnold faced only 11 batters and threw first-pitch strikes to 10 of those. She went three innings, walked one and struck out one.

Score by innings:

JDHS 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 -1

ECHS 1 1 0 0 0 0 x -2

JDHS 3 12 3 -18

PCHS 0 0 0 –  0