Hornets Honored Maddie McClendon in Recent Game
BY WIL CREWS
SPORTSCREWS@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
The Beauregard varsity softball team Monday faced off against Dadeville and honored the life of Maddie McClendon, a former Lee-Scott Academy student from Dadeville who lost her battle with ovarian cancer last year.
Before the action on the diamond began, the two teams met in the center in a show of solidarity and in an effort to raise awareness of the disease. Both teams had their own special jerseys designed specifically for the game.
“I was more excited about the meaning of the game than the actual game,” said Beauregard head coach Scott Meadows. “It was special. The family was there … the brother got to throw out the first pitch … I hope it raised awareness for everyone that was there and especially for the girls on both teams.”
Once the ball got rolling, the harmony between the two teams turned into utter dominance from Beauregard. After the first inning, the Hornets had pulled out to a multiple-run lead. The girls kept the aggression up through the middle innings and run-ruled the Tigers, 15-0, after four innings.
“We got on them early,” Meadows said. “I challenged them because we have done that a time a two this year — score early. [Monday] they kept adding to it.”
Leading the Hornets against the Tigers was Cooper Watson who went 4-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Watson has been scintillating this season, averaging a team-high .615 and .655 batting and on base percentage average, respectively. Also against the Tigers, eighth grader Raegan Brooks, who hits cleanup for the Hornets, went 2-for-4 with a grand slam. Railey Thorne started the game on the mound and 10th grader Hannah Parm finished.
“That was our goal going in, hoping we could throw two or three pitchers,” Meadows said. “We are behind on games right now. The weather has got us. We are just trying to get some pitchers some work.”
Despite the lack of games, the three-girl starting pitcher rotation is beginning to take its shape, with the earned run average for the Hornets sitting at just over five a game. Overall, Beauregard’s other team numbers scream progress. So far, the Hornets have posted a .387 batting average and an .556 on base percentage. Alongside Champion, Caroline Willis and eighth grader Raegan Brooks are leading the offensive charge, hitting .517 and .440, respectively. Senior leader Cat Henson figures to factor heavily into the mix going forward as well.
“[I’m] pretty happy overall with our bats; we have a couple that we have to get going that would really help us out because they have got speed,” Meadows said. “Our defense is doing pretty good. Of course it can be a bit better. I challenged them a week or so ago on that. Hopefully the more we can get on the field and take those ground and fly balls, the better we can get at it.”
Up next for the Hornets is area foe Tallassee. Pleased with the 4-4 start to the season, Meadows knows the matchup against the Tigers will show his team’s true metal.
“They are as good as ever,” Meadows said of Tallassee. “They didn’t graduate a whole lot and went to the state tournament last year. Our thing is we are going to have to swing the bats and play solid defense because we are going to give up a few runs. And Tallassee certainly has the team to put up runs. We are going to have to play our A-game to be competitive. It’s going to be a challenge for sure.”