By HARVEY SIMPSON
Dispatch Sports Editor
CORDELE — Crisp Academy’s Lady Wildcats easily closed in on an undefeated run through the Region 1-A portion of their 2008 softball schedule Tuesday, crushing Westwood of Camilla 15-0.
The victory bettered the report card of coach Bill McWilliams’ homestanding girls to 12-6-1 in all games and 6-0 in region play. They have one regular season game remaining in each category, starting with a 4:30 p.m. league duel Thursday at Randolph Southern.
“I’m so happy for our girls,” McWilliams said after watching them extend their winning streak to three games and defeat an opponent for a seventh time in their last eight starts.
“”They’re feeding off each other’s success as today our pitching, hitting and fielding were all great as I think the girls realize the season is rapidly drawing near an end and want to do well in all phases of the game.
“They know where they’ve been, where they now are and where they want to go (to the Class A GISA throneroom after back-to-back state runner-up finishes in 2006 and 2007) and they’re doing their best to get there.”
Westwood would no doubt agree with that assessment after seeing its host scored twice in the second inning, 10 times in the third and three times in the fourth to invoke the 15-run mercy rule.
Whitney Rawlins singled in Brandi Brewer, who had reached on a two-base error, with the game’s first run. Ashley Athon, who had reached on a walk, scored the second on Libbi Collins’ double.
In the Lady Wildcats’ third inning outburst, Abbe Jolly had an inside-the-park homer, Rawlins, Athon and Brandi Brewer belted doubles and Kasey Childers singled. A walk and four Westwood errors aided Crisp’s cause.
The home team closed out its scoring in the fourth that began with Tiffany Arnett reaching on an error and Childers walking. After that pair worked a double steal, Kristen Greene drew a free pass to load the bags for Ashley Purvis who promptly ripped a two-run double. A passed ball later allowed Greene to come home with the run that ended the game.
The mound win went to Brandi Brewer who struck out 10, walked none and allowed just one hit — a second inning bunt single. Brittany Brewer and Rawlins led Crisp at the plate with two safeties apiece.
