By Andy Simmons

A full-on pitching clinic was on display for the Dixie Belle Slammers as they beat the Force 6-4 Wednesday night at the Troy Sportsplex.

The win was the Slammers first of the season as they look to secure an early lead within their division in the upcoming weeks

The win looked close on the scoreboard, but if one were to take a look at the score card, one would see a slight advantage for the Slammers.

Most of this was due to Slammers pitcher Meredith Motes going Jenny Finch on the entire Force roster. Motes pitched a complete game with 14 strikeouts, three of them to batters that struck out looking.

The scoring began in the second inning when Motes hit a single, followed by an inside-the-park home run by first baseman Shana Lee, giving the Slammers the early 2-0 advantage.

The Force would answer back in the third, when Force leadoff hitter Fran Warrick hit an RBI double that brought in a runner at third.

A barrage of hits and stolen bases would help give the Slammers a bigger cushion to work with. Catcher Casey Allen drove in an RBI single to help bring in Paige Riley after she was able to steal second and third following her single.

Later on in the fifth, Lee would cash in on a triple that set her up for another Slammer run, courtesy of a Chelsea Zellers RBI single.

The Force would make things difficult for the Slammers. Haley Hughes RBI double brought in two Force runners to bring the score within two, but by then it was too little too late.