SHORELINE — Experience beat out youth on a chilly softball field at Shorecrest High School on Thursday evening, but the lessons learned were more important than the results.
Senior Alexandra Hudson made the most of her first pitching start in years, giving up just four hits and striking out nine to earn a complete-game win in the Everett Seagulls’ 12-1 non-league victory over the Scots.
Normally the Gulls’ centerfielder — and known as an excellent hitter — Hudson was 3-for-3, with a home run, two doubles, four runs scored and four RBI.
“Obviously Alexandra had an amazing day,” Everett head coach Kyle Peacocke said after the game. “She hasn’t pitched a complete game, probably since she was in eighth grade, so I was pretty impressed.”
Hudson, who expects to play softball for Brigham Young University, started slow on the mound but settled into a rhythm as the game progressed. She ended Shorecrest’s side of every inning except the first and seventh with a strikeout.
“It was my first time pitching since, probably freshman year,” Hudson said. “So just getting used to playing, and pitching the whole game, it was just settling down and I felt fine after that.”
Asked if he would continue to use Hudson as a pitcher, Peacocke laughed.
“Well, we’ll see,” he said. “My junior pitcher (Chailah Formon) pitched the first two games and didn’t allow an earned run, so we have some options.”
Everett’s first four batters are seniors and they led the attack against the Scots on Thursday. Third baseman Stephanie Monson was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and first baseman Elizabeth Reed batted 1-for-3 with a triple and three RBI.
The Scots are on the opposite end of the experience spectrum, starting eight sophomores and a freshman on Thursday. Despite the final result, Scots coach Janessa Karstens was pleased with her team’s effort.
“They set their goals before the game, and they achieved all their goals,” Karstens said. “We got better — that was the whole point of it. I’m not disappointed in anything.”
Wins and losses are not the focus of Karstens’ young squad at this point. Incremental improvement is. “We’re young, so we’re just going to keep building, game after game,” she said.
Christine Jarvis and Chelsey Doyle both batted 1-for-3 for the Scots, with Doyle singling Jarvis home from third base in the first inning to cut Everett’s margin to 2-1.
The Gulls’ Hudson reached base all five times she batted, but her first visit to the plate ended up providing all the run support she would need. With Monson on second base after singling and then advancing on a throwing error, Hudson hit a line-drive home run into the left-center field gap to give Everett an early 2-0 lead.
At Shorecrest H.S.
Everett2010513—12101
Shorecrest1000000—143
Al. Hudson and An. Hudson. Desrosier and Eshelman. WP—Hudson (1-0). LP—Desrosier. 2B—Al. Hudson (E), Wetmore (E). 3B—Reed (E). HR—Al. Hudson (E). Records—Everett 3-0 overall. Shorecrest 0-2.
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