The weather was just right for the Three Rivers College Lady Raiders softball team as they stepped back onto the diamond for their home opener.
The Lady Raiders welcomed the Volunteer State Lady Pioneers to JD Rains softball field on Wednesday in a doubleheader matchup to kick off the season. Despite the eagerness to land their first win of the season, early struggles behind the plate would hand the Lady Raiders a 7-2 loss in the first matchup, followed by a 6-0 loss in the second game.
Regardless of the outcome, Lady Raiders coach Jeff Null was pleased with how the team competed. With a fairly new roster, he said it's going to be a process, and he hopes they will learn as they continue to find their stride for the season.
"The game wasn't too bad for us," Null said. "We competed very well in the first inning, but after grabbing those two out the game got away from us. When you're playing good teams, that slight margin can make a big difference in the ballgame. I thought our hitters had some nerves early, but we managed to hit some balls hard and made a couple of nice plays. Our pitching was pretty good, and we made some good defensive plays. This year is going to be a learning experience, and we will get better."
Sophomore pitcher Elly Eckrich started off the game hot from the mound for the Lady Raiders by collecting two straight strikeouts. Shortly after, the game would take a turn for the Lady Raiders with a first-inning explosion from Volunteer State.
The Lady Pioneers got the game rolling on the scoreboard with a base hit across third base from Lydia Kirby to collect the first run. They would continue to thrive with another line drive to center field from Eryca Abbott, bringing in multiple runs for the Lady Pioneers. After a few mishaps on defense, the Lady Raiders finally got their shot at the plate, closing out the top of the first trailing 5-0.
The Lady Raiders didn't waste any time getting on the boards during their first attempt at the plate. Camyrn Casey connected with a hit to over center field for a single homerun, giving the Lady Raiders a much-needed boost. For the next few innings, the Lady Raiders relied heavily on the defense as they continued to struggle from the plate.
Despite trailing 6-1 at the bottom of the fourth quarter, the Lady Raiders managed to keep Volunteer State from making a big run. The Lady Raiders caught some life at the bottom of the fifth with a smash hit center filed for double, where the score stayed steady at 6-2.
With one inning remaining in the contest, the Lady Raiders had many openings but could not get anything rolling from behind the plate, and though their defense stood tall, the damage had already been done.
In the following contest, the Lady Raiders found themselves in a similar position as Volunteer State jetted off in the first inning again to take a quick 3-0 lead.
As the Lady Raiders looked to pick up a win on their second attempt, their luck would be much of the same as they continued to struggle offensively. In the end, the Lady Raiders didn't have enough to grab their first win and would fall to Volunteer State 9-1.
Casey led the Lady Raiders in hits in with a home run in both games, while Kodie VanEycke drove in one run during game one.
Eckrich went two in innings and gave up six runs. She was injured warming up for inning three and was replaced by Emma Crabb, who came in and threw five complete, allowing one run.
The Lady Raiders will return to the diamond when they host Arkansas State on Saturday in another doubleheader.
D'Courtland Christian - Daily American Republic