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Ladycat freshman Aubrey Mullins hit her first varsity home run on April 13 and was named awarded one of the MVP trophies at the David Iery Classic. Photo provided by Mallory Mullins.
By: Sam McClanahan
After a two-week layoff due to a heavy rain pattern brought in by Mother Nature, the Pendleton County Ladycats Fastpitch Softball team returned to action taking part in the David Irey Classic held in Maysville.
The team played a doubleheader on April 13 as they first took on Fleming County. The Ladycats bats showed up with no signs of rust as they pounded out 11 hits. However, a big six-run inning turned in by Fleming County would be the difference as they came away with a 7-2 victory. Three defensive errors would hurt the Ladycats.
Pendleton County was led at the plate by Riley Browning as she went 3-3 while driving in two runs. Senior catcher Maddy Musk added a pair of hits as well while freshman pitcher Hannah Spaulding allowed just one earned run in four innings of work.
Later that day, the Ladycats would rebound by scoring a 7-4 win over Lewis County. Pendleton County broke open this game with a four-run third inning that was highlighted by RBI singles from. Musk and Mylie Honnert, and an RBI double off the bat of senior Reagan Anderson. In the fifth inning, freshman Aubrey Mullins clubbed her first varsity home run that scored two runs to punctuate the win. Pendleton County collected 13 hits during the victory as Honnert went 3-4, Mullins and Madison Verst added two hits each and Spaulding doubled and tripled to finish with a pair of hits as well.
Following the win, team head coach Jessica Verst spoke on the challenge of keeping the team sharp during the long layoff.
"When you can't play for two weeks it takes a bit to get back into the groove of things. The girls did great bouncing back. Lots of positives to take away along with things we need to improve on," Coach Verst said. "The coaching staff was trying to make things fun and keep them engaged in the gym as much as we can. It's a challenge when you can't get out in the dirt. We took a day last week for the girls to just enjoy being around their teammates and have some fun. We worked on communication by learning to play pickleball. They are teenagers and it is hard for them to keep the motivation going when practicing in the gym. So, we have to incorporate little things to keep them motivated and going," Verst added.
This week, the Ladycats travel to face Highlands and Mason County followed by a home matchup with Nicholas County on April 17. The team will hold their annual Senior Night ceremony prior to the start of the game and recognize Maddy Musk, Avery Himes and Reagan Anderson. The girls will wrap up the week traveling to Lexington to face Lafayette on April 19.