Two no-hitters: Undefeated Worth County adds more shutouts

SYLVESTER — The numbers are starting to look ridiculous.

Nine games. Nine wins. Seven shutouts.

And a 105-4 scoring advantage.

Worth County’s dominant start to the softball season continued Tuesday afternoon as the Lady Rams opened region play by overwhelming Carver-Columbus 16-0 and 20-0 in a doubleheader played with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees.

As impressive as the 36 runs were, what happened in the circle may have been even better.

Carver didn’t get a hit.

Laurie Pritchard and Austyn Kate Rucker each threw three-inning no-hitters as Worth County allowed just one baserunner over six innings and struck out 14.

Pritchard set the tone from the beginning.

She needed only nine pitches to strike out the side in the first inning of the opener, recording an immaculate inning on her way to seven strikeouts. She allowed only one walk in three innings before the Lady Rams finished off a 16-0 victory.

Not that Pritchard needed much pitching room.

Worth County scored four times in the first inning and then erupted for 12 in the second.

Molly Williford was right in the middle of it. She went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs, collecting all three hits in the first two innings.

Pritchard and Anzlee Williams drove in three runs apiece, while Kayelee Mathews, Isabelle Hancock and Ellasyn Gandy each had multiple hits as Worth County piled up 15.

Then the Lady Rams started all over again.

They scored six runs in the first inning of Game 2, eight in the second and six in the third. Three innings later, they had a 20-0 victory and another no-hitter.

This time, Pritchard traded the circle for a starring role at the plate.

She went 4-for-4 with three doubles and five RBIs, capping a day in which she threw a no-hitter in one game and collected four hits in the other.

Rucker did plenty of both herself.

She had three hits and drove in four runs, then retired Carver without allowing a hit or a walk in three innings. Rucker struck out seven.

Worth County also played error-free defense in both games.

The doubleheader was the latest example of just how thoroughly the Lady Rams have controlled the opening weeks of the season.

They have scored 105 runs in nine games.

They have allowed four.

Seven opponents haven’t scored at all.

Now 9-0 overall and 2-0 in region play, Worth County won’t have much time to enjoy the latest two victories. The Lady Rams travel to Cook on Wednesday looking to keep a remarkable start going.