Lilly Woodruff showed she was not nervous to make her high school softball debut.
Stepping into the box in a tied bottom of the seventh, Woodruff did not even have to wait for her pitch.
She wrapped her barrel around the ball, hurling it down the third base line and springing Shanea Jewell to win the game from second base.
The Lady Wildcats (1-0) started the season with a 6-5 walk-off win over Copper Basin (0-2) Tuesday night.
“There are no freshman jitters right there,” Sweetwater coach Sarah Davies said. “We say ‘it is big girl time.’ All my juniors are making that adjustment and she made it instantaneously. She has the confidence and that swagger about her.
“She was not nervous at all. She wanted to be in that situation and I wanted her there.”
Despite trailing after the first frame, Copper Basin was the first one to push the score. Down 1-0, the Lady Cougars put two runs on the board in the second inning before Sweetwater recorded an out.
A leadoff single was followed by a hit batter. Copper Basin tied the game on a passed ball before taking the lead on a single into center field.
One inning later, a leadoff double was followed by an RBI single. Copper Basin went ahead 4-1 in the same frame.
Sweetwater lost to the Lady Cougars by 15 last April. Signs that the Lady Wildcats improved were evident in the response. Last season’s group — the same names without the experience — would not have generated the comeback, per Davies.
“No. Absolutely not. We knew last year was going to be ‘Hey, let’s get our reps in and build for the future.’ And they did, they have worked hard the past year,” Davies added. “The hits were not there last year and the plays they made tonight were not there. They were able to step up and do that now.”
Through the rain, Sweetwater locked in defensively. After totaling four hits in the top of the third, Copper Basin was held to one hit in the next 10 at-bats.
Sweetwater recorded eight consecutive outs, between three flyouts, two groundouts, a strikeout and a lineout, before Copper Basin singled.
“We made a couple adjustments and we got Maddy Baylog back at first. She made it look easy,” Davies said. “The ball was slick and those throws were difficult coming to her. We made the adjustments.”
Sweetwater moved Jewell to left field with Kylie Baylog heading to center field.
“(Kylie Baylog) is just so tall and long and makes a great read on the ball. Defensively, a great job all around,” Davies said.
Sweetwater did strike first. Jewell singled to start the game before Woodruff moved her to third.
Maddie Baylog’s sacrifice bunt pushed Jewell across the plate.
“Shanea did a great job on leadoff. We were able to get her on and move her around,” Davies said. “That is my favorite play of softball right there. We executed it perfectly. I am proud of them for being able to get it down. Having Shanea at the leadoff is great.”
Jewell and Woodruff went 3 for 4 on the day with Maddie Baylog, Kylee Richeson and Kylie Pliske recording hits.
“You cannot ask more of that. I am really enjoying this lineup,” Davies added.
Back–to–back singles started the bottom of the fourth before Woodruff and Maddie Baylog scored on a play started by Richeson’s bunt.
Richeson scored off Madisyn Vestal’s groundout in the next at-bat. Two batters later, Morgan’s grounder into center field scored Pliske.
“Opening day, I just wanted to get those first-day jitters out. I wanted to get some new faces out there and a new lineup go,” Davies said. “I wanted to see how they come together as a team and I could not be more proud. Copper Basin is a good team.”
Sweetwater has won on opening day twice in the previous three seasons.
“To keep fighting through to the bottom of the seventh and walk off with that win sets the tone for the rest of the year.”
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