FROSTBURG — Mountain Ridge skipper Kim Jackson came to the field Tuesday hoping for his team’s bats to wake up.
They were wide awake in the fourth inning, as the Miners started the frame with four straight base hits — the first seven batters reached — during a seven-run inning that allowed Mountain Ridge to defeat Southern, 10-7, for its first conference win.
“Those girls put the ball in play hard that inning. Every ball seemed like it was hit hard, and that made a difference,” Jackson said. “(Our) seven errors are a lot and they seem always to be concentrated in a couple of innings. With a couple breaks, this game goes in Southern’s favor.”
Mountain Ridge improved to 6-8 overall and 1-3 in Western Maryland Athletic Conference play after Tuesday, which includes the Miners’ 16-6 win at Hancock later in the day.
The Miners led 10-1 following their outburst. Macy Barth clocked a two-RBI hit during the frame — part of a 3-for-4 game that included a double — and Juliana Burriss, Destinee Johnson and Maci Beeman also drove in runs.
Southern got one back in the sixth inning on a line-drive solo blast to right-center field that scarcely left the ground off the bat of Adeline Wilson, who is signed to the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, as an infielder.
Burriss spun a gem in the circle for Mountain Ridge, and the right-hander would’ve finished off a complete game if not for a defense that committed seven errors, including four in the seventh inning alone.
A dropped fly ball pulled Southern within 10-7 after five runs came home in the seventh, and Destinee Johnson entered for the final out and induced a pop-out.
“A frustrating one,” Southern manager Amber Hill said. “Another game where we start slow and decide late that we want to compete. (Being) undisciplined in the box is killing us. Chasing high, chasing that pitch low and in and low and out. Watching too many good pitches. Not sitting and hitting solid.”
Burriss recorded the victory, allowing seven runs (one earned) on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. She struck out two and walked two.
“She’s kind of always been coming in in relief, so we thought today was her opportunity to start,” Jackson said. “And she pitched a very strong game. I’m proud of her.”
Wilson was tabbed with the loss. Halee Bruckey threw three solid frames in relief, surrendering two runs (one earned) on two hits.
Mountain Ridge held a 9-7 edge in base hits, and Southern committed six fewer errors, 7-1.
Burriss had two hits, and Aubreigh Wilson tripled in a run in the second. Gracie Shingler and Anne Baker also garnered RBIs.
Southern’s Ava Witt went 2 for 4 with a double and drove in a run.
Mountain Ridge made three errors in the fourth inning, but a strong relay after a dropped fly ball and a solid tag at home by Baker cut down a run at the plate and limited the damage to just one Southern run.
Southern center fielder Emelee Parks impressed with her range in center field, robbing Shingler of a hit in the fifth with a diving catch and Brilee Bennett of extra bases with a running grab in the gap in the sixth.
The Rams couldn’t get their bats going until too late, however, managing just three hits through the first five innings before four base knocks over the final two.
“We’re a better hitting team than this,” Hill said. “No other way to say it. We have to execute offensively. I think that’s our momentum getter.”
Beeman, Mountain Ridge’s shortstop, shined in the field. She recorded three straight 6-3 putouts during a three-up, three-down fifth inning in the field.