Late HR propels Poteau past Sallisaw in Lady Diamonds’ home opener
As the scoreless innings kept on happening during the Sallisaw Lady Diamonds softball team’s home opener against District 4A-6 rival Poteau, one could tell it likely would only take one big hit to decide the outcome — and that’s exactly what happened. Unfortunately, the big hit came from the Lady Pirates.
Poteau right fielder Brystal Hammons hit a one-out, two-run homer in the seventh inning to break the scoreless deadlock and propel the Lady Pirates to a 2-0 district victory and a series sweep of the Lady Diamonds.
The game was a pitcher’s duel between Poteau’s Emma Hackler and Sallisaw’s Delaney Compton.
Hackler (3-1) got the win for the Lady Pirates (4-1 overall, 2-0 in district play) as she threw a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts.
Compton (1-2) was the hard-luck loser for the Lady Diamonds (1-2, 0-2) as she threw a three-hitter with three Ks.
Poteau had several opportunities to score prior to Hammons’ game-winning two-run blast. The Lady Pirates got a runner to third base with two outs in the first inning, had Hammons thrown out at home plate on a double-steal attempt and had first and second with two outs in the fifth inning, but in each instance Compton got out of the jam.
On the other hand, the Lady Pirates only were able to get a runner in scoring position once, and that was after Sydney Weedon stole second base after leading off the second inning by reaching on an error. However, Hackler fanned the next two batters and got the following batter to ground back to her to end the threat.
In defeat, Makenna Bormann singled to lead off the fifth inning and Madison Green hit a one-out single in the sixth inning.
In addition, the loss may have proven costly. When Bormann was caught stealing second base to end the fifth inning after her single, she had to leave the game with an apparent hand/finger injury. Sallisaw coach Wes Green said Tuesday morning that Bormann suffered two broken fingers. How long Bormann will be out was likely to be found out Tuesday afternoon.
