Coming off of a trip to the 3A state tournament in 2017, Lee Academy opened the 2018 softball season with a 2-2 record.
The Fillies opened winning one game and losing two in the Magnolia Heights School tournament on Saturday.
Lee opened with a 6-5 loss to North Delta Academy.
Ashlynn Smith was 1-for-2 with two runs for Lee, Mikah Jantz was 1-for-2 with one run, and Jett Harrell was 1-for-1 with two runs. Smith, Jantz and Emily Moser walked. Moser was also hit by a pitch.
Harrell pitched for the Fillies. Lee was ahead 5-3 going into the bottom of the fifth-inning when Harrell gave up two base hits, one intentional walk and other hits.
“She just had one bad inning,” Lee coach Tom Fleming said.
The Fillies defeated North Sunflower Academy 6-1. North Sunflower defeated North Delta 11-2 the day before.
Smith was on the mound for the Fillies against North Sunflower and only had to face 18 batters in five innings.
“That tells you she pitched pretty good,” Fleming said.
Smith also finished with five strikeouts.
Smith was 1-for-3, Jantz was 1-for-3, Moser was 1-for-3 with a triple, Callie Millwood was 1-for-2, Harrell was 1-for-2, and Haley Ramirez was 1-for-2.
The Fillies scored five runs in the bottom of the third to break a 1-1 tie.
Lee closed with a 2-1 loss to Marshall Academy, but had a chance to win late. The Fillies had runners at second and third base in the bottom of the seventh-inning and could not capitalize.
Anna Byrd was 1-for-3 with a single, Smith was 1-for-3 with a double, and Jantz was 1-for-3 with a single.
Harrell walked the first batter of the game and a triple and single followed with two outs for Marshall Academy’s two runs. She faced 18 batters while recording three strikeouts.
Lee won 10-2 at Delta Academy on Tuesday.
Byrd was 1-for-4; Smith had two doubles and scored three runs; Jantz doubled, singled and scored three runs; Moser doubled, singled and scored in a 2-for-3 outing; Millwood singled, reached on an error and scored two runs; Harrell was 1-for-4; and Celia Gibson singled.
Harrell pitched the first four innings and gave up two runs.
Smith threw the final three innings giving up no runs while recording two strikeouts.
Lee is in the Indianola Academy tournament on Saturday. The Fillies play their first district game at Indianola Academy at 5 p.m. They travel to Tunica Academy at 4 p.m. Aug. 8.
The Indianola Academy matchup on Monday is the district opener for the Fillies.
“We’ve just got to hit the ball a little more consistent,” Fleming said. “Our defense is fine. It seems to be the slower pitching that we’ve faced, we had more trouble than we did the better pitching of Marshall. Marshall had two excellent pitchers.”
Lee started district play 1-4 last season before bouncing back to make the state tournament.
Fleming is reminding his team to take care of business early on.
“We’ve talked about taking care about business as we approach them,” he said. “Don’t wait till the end to try to come on. Let’s get our wins early.”
