The weather might have been bitterly cold but Caldwell County’s bats were quick to heat up.
The Lady Tigers scored in every inning — and slammed three home runs — while beating Union County 12-1 in five innings on opening day in Princeton.
Eighth grader Alexis Wood limited the visiting Bravettes to just one unearned run on four base hits while picking up the win inside the pitching circle. She struck out four and walked two in Monday’s game.
Wood also came up big at the plate, connecting on one of Caldwell’s long balls.
Wood, Brylee Butts and Alicia Stanley each cleared the fence for the Lady Tigers.
Butts got the scoring started in the contest with a solo home run to left-center with one out in the bottom of the first inning. Caldwell went on to score five times in the frame.
Adley Lewis doubled home two runs to make it 3-0. Presley McKinney singled home a run while another came in on an error to stake the Lady Tigers to their early 5-0 lead.
Caldwell added three more runs in the second. Stanley highlighted that inning with a two-run homer to center that made it 8-0.
Union broke up the shutout with an unearned run in the top of the third.
But the Lady Tigers countered with two tallies in the bottom of the frame. This time, it was Wood connecting for a towering shot to center after McKinney led off the inning with a single. That pushed the Caldwell advantage to 10-1.
McKinney narrowly missed a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth, but her deep sacrifice fly to center still brought in one run to make it 11-1. Kenzie McConnell singled home another run to give the Lady Tigers their 12-1 advantage.
Stanley was 3-for-3 at the plate for Caldwell. She scored three times and drove in two.
McKinney was 2-for-2 with two runs batted in while Lewis finished 2-for-3 and knocked in two.
Caldwell had 12 hits and was issued four walks.
Sydney Thomas went 2-for-2 for Union.
The Lady Tigers have won their last five matchups with Union County. Caldwell holds a 21-9 advantage all-time against the Bravettes.
The Lady Tigers will hit the road on Tuesday for a date at Marshall County.
