Staff Reports

Jana Matthews didn't get a home run this time, but the Starmount senior did about everything else from the plate in the Rams' 10-0 softball win at Davie County on Thursday night.

Matthews finished 4-for-4 against the War Eagles, recording three RBIs and scoring two runs. Two of her hits were doubles. Another was a triple. Matthews was coming off a two-homer game against North Wilkes last Friday and continued to stay hot, lifting Starmount to 16-2 overall.

The Rams have outscored foes 27-0 in the four games since suffering their two defeats to East Surry and Forbush. Pitchers Courtney Groce and Rebecca Aplin have surrendered just five hits during the current winning streak.

Groce got the win Thursday night to up her record to 10-1. The freshman pitched until the bottom of the fifth inning. The game was called after six frames due to mercy rule. Davie County managed just one hit against the Starmount pitching duo.

"We jumped all over them early," Starmount coach Heather Courts said.

The Rams notched four runs in the top of the first inning, then plated another in the second. The lead grew to 8-0 in the fifth frame and two runs in the sixth brought the mercy rule into play.

Brittany White also doubled for Starmount. She finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

The Rams go on the road for their next three games, visiting Wilkes Central tonight, West Wilkes on Monday and Surry Central on Tuesday.


More Softball NORTH WILKES 7, SURRY CENTRAL 6: The Vikings won in the bottom of the seventh on a bases loaded walk, with two outs and the count full.

The game went back and forth throughout. Surry Central struck first, with a single run in the second and another in the third inning. North Wilkes took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third, but the Eagles erupted for four runs in the top of the fifth to take a 6-3 lead.

The host Vikings chipped away, getting one run back in the bottom of the fifth and one in the sixth to tie it. North Wilkes then loaded the bases, with Autumn Elledge coming home on the bases loaded walk.

Both teams were stellar at the plate, with Surry Central outhitting North 14-12. Amber Owens paced the Vikings with a 3-for-4 performance and two RBIs. Madison Ashley and Ashlea Myers were both 2-for-3.

Hayley Durham went 4-for-4 for the Golden Eagles, with one RBI. Whitney Joyner earned two hits and two RBIs. Kirsten Gardner and Brittany Tolbert both were 2-for-4. Gardner had an RBI.

Gardner and North's Owens and Elledge each hit doubles.

North Wilkes improved to 3-7 in conference, 5-11 with the win. Surry Central dropped to 2-8, 5-11.

MOUNT AIRY 7, ELKIN 1: The Granite Bears topped the Buckin' Elks on senior day in Elkin. Kourtney Wagoner earned a complete win from the mound and hit a home run.

Shelby Walsh tripled for the Elks. Shanlyn Wagoner took the pitching loss, striking out six.


JV Softball STARMOUNT UPDATE: The JV Rams belted North Wilkes 19-0 on Tuesday and topped North Surry 7-5 last Friday.

The North Wilkes game ended after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. Starmount scored two in the first, one in the second, five in the third, six in the fourth and five more in the fifth.

Seven Rams had at least two hits. Courtney Barnes went 3-for-3 with a home run. Kassidy Macemore and Ashley Osborne both went 2-for-2 with two walks.

Madeline Coe hit a single and a double in three at-bats. Emily Hunter went 2-for-3 with two walks. Amber Smith and Samantha Couch both were 2-for-4.

Smith got the pitching win, needing just 65 pitches to retire the Vikings. She struck out five and walked two.

Osborne earned the win against North Surry. She struck out seven and allowed seven hits, without a walk. Osborne helped her own cause with two singles and two RBIs at the plate.

Sawyer Cranford went 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Starmount scored two runs in the second inning, two in the third and four in the fifth.

The Starmount JVs play three games next week: West Wilkes on Monday, Surry Central on Tuesday, and Forbush on Thursday.