GDW Analysis:
GOOD HOPE: With Molly Benefield displaying her pitching skills, a 6 run 5th inning was the difference for the Good Hope Lady Raiders to beat West Morgan 8 to 1 Tuesday in the AHSAA 4A, Area 13 opener for both teams.
Benefield gave up 1 run on 4 hits in going the distance as Good Hope now has 10 wins against 5 losses and a tie overall.
The right hander struck out 11 Lady Rebels, getting at least one per inning. Four of her last 6 outs were by strikeouts,
Benefield got out of trouble in the first when Zoey Brevington started the game with a single and would get to 3rd after a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt.
She struck out Macie Treadway to finish the 1st and Good Hope dodging a good threat by the visitors from Trinity.
Kylie Smith singled, moved to 2nd on a wild pitch and came home when Haley Lay singled for Good Hope in the last of the 1st.
In the Lady Raiders 3rd, Lizzy Steed singled, had a stolen base and was at 3rd on a wild pitch. A liner by Smith to right was bobbled with Steed scoring and a 2 to 0 lead.
West Morgan managed to tally a run in the 5th closing the deficit to 2 to 1.
But in the Good Hope side of the 5th, the Lady Raiders finally got things going against West Morgan righthander Alyssa Cleveland.
Steed singled home a run, sac fly runs were produced by Campbell Koch and Benefield and a two run single off the bat of Addyson Burgess provided the Lady Raiders breathing room to move to the later part of the game ahead 8 to 1.
Benefield gave up a single in the 6th and a walk in the 7th. West Morgan was unable to mount a major threat with the game ending at 6:18 p.m.
The game was played in 1 hour, 47 minutes under sunny skies and temperature in the low 70s.
Steed, the leadoff batter for coach Tim Tucker, was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.
Lay was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Burgess' base hit in the 5th accounted for 2 runs, Maggie O'Neal got a hit, stolen base and a run scored.
The Lady Raiders had 7 hits in the contest.
Good Hope stays in area play with a game ay East Lawrence Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Photo of Good Hope's Natalie Miller (14), Haley Lay (32), Molly Benfield (00) and Adysson Burgess (47) prior to Tuesday's area game at home vs. West Morgan.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton
