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The Shelby County Wildcats saw eight different players pick up a hit against Calera en route to a dominant 10-0 victory. (For the Reporter/Larry Dancy)

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

CALERA – The Shelby County Wildcats used 13 hits to pick up a mercy-rule victory over the Calera Eagles on Thursday, March 12, by a final score of 10-0.

The Wildcats scored five runs in the opening inning and never looked back en route to the five-inning victory that saw them tack on three more runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth.

In the opening inning of the game, Shelby County followed a ground out and a hit batter with an RBI triple from Nataley Whitner, which drove home Maggie West for the game’s first run.

That was followed by an RBI single from Paci Clark that put the Wildcats in front 2-0, before a second out was recorded. After a walk, however, Meleah Hale picked up the team’s second triple of the inning to drive home two runs and extend the lead to 4-0, before Halla O’Leary singled to bring home the fifth and final run of the inning.

With Shelby County’s dominant pitching in the circle, which allowed just three hits and no runs, that was already enough for the Wildcats to pick up the win.

For a while, it looked as if that might be the case with two consecutive scoreless innings, but in the top of the fourth, Shelby County added some insurance.

After a lead-off pop out put a quick out on the board, Peri Clark and West each singled to put runners on first and second. That was followed by back-to-back doubles from Whitner and Paci Clark, the first of which from Whitner drove home two more runs for a 7-0 advantage.

Two batters later, a single drove in Shelby County’s eighth run to end the fourth with an 8-0 lead.

Following a 1-2-3 inning defensively, the Wildcats stepped back to the plate and took advantage of two walks and a single early in the inning when Paci Clark stepped to the plate. With two down in the inning, she ended the game with one swing of the bat by hitting a double toward right field that drove home two more runs for the mercy-rule, 10-0, win.

Paci Clark finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBIs in the win, while West added a 3-for-3 performance with two runs scored. Whitner added a 2-for-4 performance with three RBIs and two runs scored. Hale added two RBIs after going 1-for-3.

Calera was led by Emma Harrison with a 2-for-2 game, while Kayla Butler finished 1-for-2.

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