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Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Despite a nine-day layoff, the Doyle softball team hardly missed a beat Wednesday night in its Division III nonselect playoff game against Winnfield. Behind a 17-hit attack that gave pitcher Bella Collins more than enough room to work, fifth-seeded Doyle powered past No. 12 Winnfield 17-4 at Johnny Sartwell Memorial Park.
Doyle (23-5) scored in every inning, including five runs in the bottom of the fifth. That at-bat ended with Kylee Savant's inside-the-park home run to cap the run-rule win. "We hadn't played in awhile," said Doyle coach Kyle Wieck, whose team defeated Ponchatoula 19-4 on April 14.
"We had so much production against a really good Ponchatoula team that we decided to roll with the same lineup. We did what we expected to do at the plate." The win moves Doyle into the quarterfinals, setting up a rematch of last season's championship game.
Doyle will travel to face fourth-seeded Sterlington, which defeated the Tigers 1-0 last April in Sulphur. Against Winnfield (13-17), all nine Doyle starters collected at least one hit. Led by University of Houston signee Shelby Taylor, three Doyle players had three hits.
Taylor tripled, doubled and homered, and she reached base and scored in all five of her plate appearances. Taylor had two chances to get a single and hit for the cycle. She took second on an outfield error in the fourth and was walked in the fifth.
Also coming up big were Bailey McLin with three hits and three RBIs and Reagan Anthony with three hits and two RBIs. Savant finished with five RBIs. "We scout each team we play really well," Wieck said.
"We knew what they would throw against us, and we worked harder on hitting this week. We take pride in our hitting and the numbers show it. We did what we expected to do at the plate.
" Collins retired Winnfield in order in the top of the first, and Doyle's bats went to work in the bottom half of the inning. Sparked by Taylor's leadoff triple, Doyle sent eight batters to the plate and scored three runs on four hits. There were more hits and runs in the second inning, when 10 Doyle batters came to the plate.
Including a two-run single by Collins, Doyle had six hits and scored five runs to take an 8-2 lead. Winnfield starter Karley Caskey needed 74 pitches to get through the first two innings, and she gave way to reliever Kristen Phelps to start the third inning. Caskey's two-run single in the top of the second helped Winnfield stay close in the early going.
Doyle 17, Winnfield 4 WHS 022 00 – 4 5 2 DHS 352 25 – 17 17 0 WP - Bella Collins. LP - Karley Caskey. Leaders- WHS: Karley Caskey 1-1, 2 RBI; Anna Claire Bartlett 102, 2B, RBI.
DHS: Shelby Taylor 3-4, 2B, 3B, HR; Bailey McLin 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI; Reagan Anthony 3-4, RBI. Team Records - Doyle 23-5, Winnfield 13-17..
