Jackson County is still unbeaten on the softball diamond but continues to battle with inconsistency in the early going according to the Panthers’ coach.
Lisa Robinson said she sees great potential in this group but said it has yet to play to its capabilities in a 2-0-2 start in 2010.
“I honestly think we can be one of the top two teams in our region if we play like we’re capable … We’ve got all the tools, we’ve just got to know how to use it,”,” Robinson said.
Jackson County picked up its second victory of the year Tuesday when it beat Hart County 7-3 on the road in extra innings.
The Panthers struck for four runs in the eighth inning under international tie-breaker rules in claiming their first region win.
Victoria Wood, Madison Whitmire, Andrea Ledford, Brooke Griggs and Ashley Lance all had hits in the victory.
It was Wood, a freshman, who broke the tie in the eighth with an RBI double.
On the mound, Haley Shinall allowed three first-inning runs but responded with seven shutout innings to earn the victory.
“She shut them down completely … They couldn’t hit her,” Robinson said.
Though Jackson County got the win Tuesday, Robinson felt the contest shouldn’t have been that close. The coach said the game showed that the team has much work to do.
“We’re still not at our best,” Robinson said.
Robinson said her team played well in spurts in a 1-0-2 finish in the season-opening Hawk-Bulldog Invitational Wednesday through Friday at West Jackson Park.
Jackson County, who faced two Class AAAAA teams and one Class AAAA squad, tied Harrison 3-3 Wednesday, beat Mountain View 6-4 Thursday and tied Loganville 4-4 Friday.
Highlights included Whitmire’s two-run homer in Jackson County’s 3-3 draw with Harrison and Ledford’s two-run double in a close victory over Mountain View. Griggs also went 3-for-3 in the Panthers’ 4-4 tie with Loganville, while Jessica Laird was 2-for-3. Whitmire supplied a crucial sac-fly RBI in that contest as well.
But Robinson said the consistency is just not there yet from the team’s heavy hitters.
“We are consistently inconsistent,” Robinson said.
On the mound, Shinall pitched in the ties against Harrison and Loganville and came on in relief in the victory over Mountain View. Kortnee Satterfield started and pitched most of that game.
