Coupled with Friday night’s 7-0 win at Eastern Randolph, Viking coach Matt Hrbek was enjoying a team that has been putting it together in all phases of the game.
“It’s nice to see that,” he said of the pitching by Moore. “How many strikeouts did she have, three or four? So it’s not like she’s striking out everybody. We’ve gotten good solid defense behind her, too.”
And plenty of offense.
Excluding the team’s only loss, 2-1 at Southeast Guilford, the Vikings are averaging over 13 runs per game in four Tri-County Conference victories. They are 6-1 overall going into tonight’s 5 p.m. league contest at Asheboro. Trinity fell to 2-2 in the league and 4-2 overall.
Tuesday, the bats went to work in the second inning to the tune of eight runs. Carolyn’s sister, Melody, tripled home a run in the first, singled in the big second inning and doubled in the two-run third. The freshman finished the game with two runs scored and four RBI.
Carolyn helped her cause by going two for three and scoring a pair of runs. Twice she got help from center fielder Ashley Jones who threw out runners at second and third base to complete double plays.
The game ended after the top of the fifth inning under the mercy rule. Moore struck out five and walked four, while raising her record on the mound to 4-0. The team’s starting shortstop when she’s not pitching, she joins Shelly Cummings and her sister on what is turning out to be a strong pitching staff. She says that this is her fourth or fifth no-hitter, including summer ball.
“I have fun,” she said after the game. “I just go out there and do my best. I knew if I was called on to pitch, I’d do my job.”
Friday night, she struck out five while pitching a two-hitter against the Wildcats, a team that defeated Southeast Guilford.
“That was a surprise,” Hrbek said of the one-sided victory. “Boy were we stroking it. We hit the ball well and played good defense.”
The Vikings scored three runs in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth against the Wildcats. Senior catcher Lisa Jackson led the way with a three for four effort, including a double, triple and two RBI. Melody Moore contributed a home run, her fourth of the season.
R H E
Trinity 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 2
Union Pines 1 8 2 0 x — 11 9 1
Flowers and Reece; C. Moore and Jackson; WP- C. Moore 4-0 LP- Flowers; Leading hitters - (UP) M. Moore 3-3, DB, TR, 2 runs, 4 RBI, C. Moore 2-3, 2 runs.
