CROTHERSVILLE

Crothersville’s softball team faced one of the top teams in the Southern Athletic Conference Tuesday afternoon: Henryville.

The Tigers didn’t have enough offense, defense or pitching in dropping a 19-1 game.

Crothersville pitcher Brittany Ross retired Henryville’s lead off batter with a ground out to begin the game, but the Hornets combined two hits, four walks, a hit batsman, and two Tiger errors to score eight runs.

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The Tigers didn’t waste any time getting their offense going as Kaitlyn McVey singled to right field leading off the bottom of the first, and Kalynda Hoevener followed with a double over the centerfielder’s head to put runners on second and third with no outs.

The runners were unable to advance on a ground out by Gaby Walters, but Ross also grounded out as McVey scored.

Another ground out ended the inning.

Tigers coach Brian Huey said he was encouraged with the Tigers’ first inning.

“The hits will come,” he said. “After that first inning we had tonight I thought it might turn out a little bit different.”

The score remained 8-1 until the Hornets (4-0 SAC, 15-4) broke the game open with seven runs in the third inning.

After the first inning, the only other hit the Tigers came up with was a single by Ross in the fourth inning.

The Tigers committed six errors, received eight walks and has 12 hits and Huey said that was too much to overcome.

He said the errors hurt is team by allowing the Hornets to score several unearned runs.

“That (defense) is something we’re going to work on the rest of the week in practice,” Huey said. “The way it looks, they can handle the plays in practice, it’s just getting everything carried over to the game situation,” he said. “Something we need to keep working on is our defense.”

Henryville’s pitcher didn’t walk any and had nine strike outs. Huey said that is one of the better pitchers his team has faced this season.

“We told the girls before they ever got up there that she was going to pitch it right down the middle, and to watch the ball when it comes out of her hand,” Huey said. “We got the first round (first time through the lineup) in and kind of got the serves calmed down a little.

“Something else we’re going to work on is our hitting. We’ll get them in the cage in the gym and let them hit off the machine, and just try to get their confidence up. The girls are trying, they really are.”

The Tigers (0-3 SAC, 0-9) will host Edinburgh on Thursday.