Enterprise pounds out hits in 12-0 softball win over Bogue Chitto

Published 8:04 am Friday, March 31, 2023

Enterprise head softball coach Alicia Smith has a young group, there is but one senior on her 2023 roster.

Last season Smith took over the program after previously being an assistant coach and her underclassman filled team took some lumps in finishing 6-14 overall last season.

This year the Yellow Jackets are off to a hot start as the team moved to 13-4 in 2023 with a 12-0-win Monday at home over Bogue Chitto.

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Having capable pitching is a huge part of having any success on the softball field and Smith has a more than capable arm in freshman hurler Terra Vining.

In four innings on Monday, Vinning struck out five and walked five in giving up just one hit on 80 pitches.

Isabella Lawhorn was the only BC player to safely get a hit.

Bogue Chitto did threaten early though the Bobcats got runners on second and third base with no outs in the top of the first inning.

The bases then filled up with two out after Vinning got two straight strikeouts. A flyout ended the inning with the bases loaded for BC.

“Terra did a really good job for us tonight,” said Smith. “She’s pitching with confidence because she knows that she’s got a solid defense behind her to make plays.”

The home team scored four runs in the first, two runs in the second, two runs in the third and four runs in the fourth. Enterprise piled up 16 hits, many of them hard hit balls to the far corners of Jerry Coon Field.

Vining helped her own cause with three hits and two RBIs as the leadoff batter for EAC. Both of her hits went as doubles.

Freshman Kristen Pollard had two doubles as well and drove in one run.

Caitlin Case, Mallory Honea and Hailey Reeves all hit a double as well.

The home crowd had its biggest cheer of the night in the bottom of the fourth when sophomore Natalie Williams hit a 2-run home run that put EAC up 11-0.

Natalie Williams, Gracie Williams and Case all had two RBIs each.

Enterprise started the season with an 11-8 loss to Franklin County. Since then, their only losses have come against West Lincoln (4-1, 5-3) and Loyd Star (9-0).

The Jackets beat BC 6-4 when the teams first met on Feb. 25 and then won again (17-5) when they played on March 3.

Enterprise is already 2-0 in Region 7-1A after beating Salem twice last week (6-5, 9-1).

The team still has division matchups left against Taylorsville and Bay Springs.

BC coach Candace McDowell has a similarly young team in her group of Bobcats. Bogue Chitto is scheduled to play at their district rival West Lincoln on Thursday. EAC is scheduled to travel to Taylorsville on Thursday.

Smith is assisted by first year Enterprise assistant coach Mikaela Brister.

“The chemistry of this group is unbelievable,” said Smith. “Them getting that winning experience has really brought us together. They all want to win and they play together and they’ve giving really great effort in practice to get better every day.”