Murphy – It was an up and down week for Murphy softball.
On April 13, the Lady Bulldogs lost to Robbinsville 11-6 in a game where their bats showed up too late. On Thursday against Rosman, the Lady Bulldogs learned they can win when their usually excellent hitting doesn’t show up, beating the Lady Tigers 2-0 behind a shutout from Jersey Schwalm.
“We’re lucky to be out of this 1-1,” Nelson said. “It would be great to be 2-0, but we’re happy with 1-1 right now.”
The game against the Lady Black Knights (7-1 overall, 7-1 Smoky Mountain Conference) was a showdown of the best two teams in the league so far this season. In the first meeting on March 28 at Murphy, Robbinsville scored four runs in the top of the first inning, but Murphy scored 10 unanswered on its way to a 14-10 win.
The Lady Bulldogs scored first this time on a solo home run by Annie Kate Dalton in the top of the first, but Robbinsville scored at least two runs in the next five innings. The Lady Black Knights jumped out to an 11-2 lead before Murphy scored four runs in the top of the seventh to make the final score respectable.
Robbinsville freshman Memory Frapp hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to give Robbinsville a lead it would never relinquish, and she stymied the Lady Bulldogs for much of the game on the mound. Before tiring in the last inning, Frapp allowed just three hits; a home run to Dalton, and a home run and single to Riley Dockery.
“We can’t wait until the end to fight,” Dalton said. “If we put up four runs per inning that game would’ve been won by us. It just happens we didn’t come out fighting and that’s what happens when you wait until the last inning.”
Murphy started fast against the Lady Tigers with RBI singles from Ainsley Hogsed and Jersey Schwalm, though wouldn’t score again the rest of the day. Those two runs were more than enough as Schwalm gave up just three hits and struck out 10 in a complete game shutout.
“I felt like I threw really hard today and I felt good with my spots,” Schwalm said. “Everything felt good and loose.”
Schwalm was dialed in from the first batter, needing only the minimum batters to get through the first three innings. Any time Rosman (3-5 overall and conference) threatened, she quickly eliminated the threat. After a one out triple by Rosman pitcher Elizabeth Daves in the top of the fourth inning, Schwalm struck out the next two batters.
In the fifth inning, Marley Ruth Metcalf led off with a walk and Kyndall Harrison reached on an error. That didn’t phase Schwalm, who struck out the side to end the inning.
“She’s pitched well all year,” Nelson said. “It’s a situation where when you only have one pitcher she takes the brunt of everything. It’s one of those things where if she has a good day, we have a great day. But we count on her so much and she has so much pressure on her every time she comes out there.”
Daves almost matched Rosman for the Lady Tigers, giving up just five hits and two runs while striking out 10.
“It’s gotten to a point now where the teams are so good in the conference that you can hit it and still not get any success at the plate,” Nelson said. “I’m glad we were able to pull it out defensively, and like I said, great pitching performance.”
Murphy is 6-1 overall and in the conference. The Lady Bulldogs will take on Andrews in a home-and-home Monday and Tuesday, which took place after this week’s edition went to press.