Sports Writer

Like the Atlanta Braves in the first three weeks of the Major League Baseball season, the Charles Henderson High School fast pitch softball team is starting to realize

great pitching doesn’t always guarantee successful results.

For the second consecutive game, after getting shutout by St. James last Thursday night, the termites hit the bat rack again as the Lady Trojans fell to the Dothan High School Lady Tigers 3-0 under cool and rainy skies at the Troy SportsPlex early Tuesday night.

Dothan High School pitcher Christy Andrews kept Lady Trojan batters off balance all evening long using tremendous location and excellent pinpoint control while limiting CHHS to two hits, despite not striking out a single batter and giving up just one walk. Andrews forced the Lady Trojans to hit into 10 ground ball outs on the

dirt infield which was slowed tremendously by the wet conditions.

The loss spoiled another tremendous pitching performance by freshman Brittany Carlisle. Carlisle went the distance allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight without walking a batter.

The Lady Trojans (14-12) had their best opportunity to score in the bottom of the first. With one out and the game scoreless, Emily Watkins reached on a single and advanced to second on a walk to Kelly Miller putting runners on first and second. However, Laura Wesley popped up to the third baseman and Elizabeth Rountree lined out to center field ending the inning. It was the only time in the entire game the Lady Trojans had two runners on base simultaneously in the same inning.

Meanwhile, Andrews settled down retiring seven in a row before Watkins reached on a two out error in the bottom of the third. Andrews used a wicked change-up and rise ball forcing CHHS to hit into several ground ball and fly outs.

The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth when Dothan (15-11) scored the only run it needed off of Carlisle (6-6). With two outs, Andrews lined a double to left field to extend the inning. One batter later, Markell Elkins lined a double into the left center field gap scoring pinch runner Kelly Creel to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 lead.

The Lady Tigers scored their second run in the top of the fifth when Candace Sheppard reached on an error and came around on a run scoring double by B.J. Blakenship. On the same play, however, Blakenship was thrown out at third

on a great throw by Watkins from center field and a tremendous relay by senior second baseman Christine Haug to end the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, reached first on a walk but was unable to advance as the Lady Trojans continued to slump at the plate. The lone other hit by CHHS was a seventh inning single by Lanell Boswell, who was stranded at third base to end the game.

CHHS (JV) 16 Dothan 10

In the junior varsity game, Claire Goodson went 3-for-3 scored and drove in four runs as the Charles Henderson junior varsity squad came from behind to defeat the Dothan junior varsity 16-10. The game was shortened to 90 minutes due to the inclement weather.

Trailing 10-7 going into the bottom of the fifth, the Lady Trojans scored nine runs to take the lead for good. After Allie Park led off with a single, she came around to score on a double by Heather Snell cutting the deficit to two runs. After Michelle Strother walked,

Goodson, Ashton Spann, Jamie Sessions and Lindsey Garner put together consecutive RBI singles to give the Lady Trojans a 12-10 lead. It was an advantage CHHS (13-11) wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the evening.