BAKER — It was tough going for Baker School’s softball team Tuesday night as the Gators hosted Chipley in a District 3-1A game.
Baker’s offense was, for the most part silent as the Gators managed just three hits, two of them bunt singles, in a 5-1 loss to the Tigers.
Adding insult to injury was the fact that a usually solid Baker defense committed four errors equaling the number of hits off the bats of the Tigers.
“We are in the midst of a tough stretch in our schedule,” Gator Coach John Carlisle said. “It’s a very tough schedule facing a lot of different pitching and a quality pitching in hopes of getting us set up for the end of the season.
“We are just kind of snake bit right now. Hopefully we can turn this around and put it as a positive and use this as a springboard to carry us through the end of the season.”
Chipley jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks in part to Baker errors and led the rest of the way.
Madison Kent walked and scored and Lauren Finch reached on a Gator error and scored the first of her three runs to pace the Chipley attack.
Baker (5-5, 2-3) had some hard luck in the home half of the first inning. Shelby Sloan was hit by a pitch to lead off the game. With one out, Jenna Bush hit a line drive that was speared by Tiger first baseman Brooklyn Hayes. Hayes then stepped on first to double up Shelby to end the inning.
Ashley Black scored Baker’s lone run of the game when she led off the second inning with a solo home run.
Chipley put the game out of reach with single runs in the third, fifth and seventh innings.
Baker threatened in the sixth when Bethany McCranie led off the inning with a bunt single. Sloan followed with another bunt single, but when McCranie took too big a turn at second base she was thrown out for the first out of the inning.
Sloan went the distance in the circle for the Gators allowing the five runs, two earned on four hits while striking out seven Tiger batters.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker softball team struggles against Chipley