MOORE — Two weeks off the heels of a 1-0 loss to the SaberCats, Moore defeated Southmoore 10-0 in five innings Thursday night.
“It [the first loss] was early,” Lions head coach Stephanie Riley said. “And it’s like, ‘OK, what are we doing? What are we pressing about? Well, we played them, you know, last fall, and it’s like, ‘We know most of these girls play each other. . . Play the game and just enjoy yourselves and be loud. They play great when they’re loud.”
Perhaps no play resounded louder through Moore’s ballpark than Allie Rumsey’s walk-off double that rang off the back wall for what felt like a minute.
Otherwise, there wasn’t a player of the game; “The team, today,” Riley said.
“There wasn’t one person that stood out,” Moore’s staff told VYPE. “Freshman through senior stepped up.”
Makiah Neal went 3-3 with a triple. Libby Jaques went 3-4 with a double. Karlie Curtis, who was a reserve in the first game, hit a crucial two-out flare. Riley Rumbaugh laid out for a catch that kept Moore off the scoreboard.
“I think everybody just had everybody’s back this time,” Neal said. “We are all, like, up before the game. We were up during the game. And I think when one of us hits, we all hit. So I think just, collectively, as a group, we all work together, and that’s what led to my success and the team’s success.”
Two-out hits were a key in the SaberCats’ win.
“We’ve had a lot of growth from the very first day,” Riley said. “We constantly talk ‘mindset’ and situational hitting and so when they step in the box, they have a purpose and they know instead of, oh my gosh, it’s all on me, nope, it’s a team effort.”
The SaberCats’ table continues Tuesday at Yukon.
“I think it’s a really big step for us just as a team, just because, you know, we struggled a little bit there in the beginning, but I think we’re kind of hitting our stride,” Neal said, “so I’m excited.”