According to Winthrop softball coach Chuck Gurney, pitcher Layne Audet was throwing 51 miles-per-hour in the first inning. In the seventh inning, the radar showed the same.
Audet used that speed to strike out 10 Spruce Mountain batters en route to a 4-1 win over the Phoenix in a pivotal matchup that had playoff implications for both teams.
“We had four games in five days, so we needed this one,” Gurney said. “We were sitting in tenth today and we knew there were a lot of heal points to be got. We put emphasis on it and said we had to stay hungry all game long and play very well.”
In the first inning, Julianne Doiron of Spruce Mountain hit a double off of Audet. Doiron was later driven in by Hailey Perkins to jump out to a quick 1-0 lead. Those two hits were the only hits the Phoenix would have until the fifth inning thanks to Audet.
“My personal game plan was to throw strikes and that happened,” Audet said.
Winthrop (4-3) hadn’t faced Spruce Mountain in several years since the Phoenix just recently returned to the MVC from a brief stay in the KVAC, so the Ramblers relied on scouting reports from other teams to prepare for Friday’s matchup.
“We knew that they had played some really good teams and we learned and talked to some other teams about their strengths and weaknesses,” Audet said. “We learned a little bit about their pitcher and catcher and some of their hitters. We tried to use that to the best of our advantage.”
In the second inning the Ramblers got their bats going. After two strikeouts to start the inning from freshman Phoenix pitcher Hannah Turcotte, Maria Dostie drew a walk. Dostie was followed by a single from Devyn Taylor and a walk from Kate Perkins to load the bases. Moriah Hajduk slapped a single into left center which scored Dostie and then two more runs came in off of a base hit from Audet and suddenly Winthrop had taken control.
“We hit the ball,” Gurney said. “That has been our Achilles heel all year long is that we don’t score runs. We scored three in the second and then, just like at Monmouth, we kind of put the bat away.”
Both teams struggled to find hits in the middle innings with both teams accumulating just three hits in innings three-through-five. Audet and Turcotte were in a pitchers duel, something Spruce Mountain Clint Brooks coach was encouraged about.
“I told the kids after the game this could have easily been a one-run or two-run game,” Brooks said. “Our pitcher is still learning her trade. She’s a freshman and she came in as a thrower and she is learning to be a pitcher. Every game gets a little bit better and she felt good about her performance.”
Turcotte finished the game with six strikeouts and allowed just eight hits.
Winthrop left two runners on in the fifth and the pressure was mounting as Spruce Mountain was still within striking distance. In the sixth, Perkins hit a single, her third time on base, and then stole second. Hajduk hit her home to add another insurance run and Audet took care of the rest.
In the seventh, Audet threw just eight pitches while earning a strikeout to end the game.
“I just try to give everything I have on every single pitch because the harder I throw the more accurate it is, that’s just personal for me,” Audet said. “I give it everything I have every single pitch and hopefully it will work out.”
Winthrop’s win should move them up in the heal points standings, up from tenth where they entered the contest.
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