Ashland sophomore fills big shoes

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Ashland pitcher Hayley Ross winds up as first baseman Caitlin Williams, right, looks on during Tuesday’s nonconference softball game with Phoenix.

ASHLAND — Bella who?

Playing without star pitcher Bella Pribyl, the Ashland High softball team proved it's more than a one-arm team with an 8-0 nonconference win over Phoenix Tuesday at North Mountain Park.

Sophomore pitcher Haley Ross struck out seven in a hurling the shutout, and Samantha Gilbert hit a three-run home run off Phoenix starter Tessa Lockett as the Grizzlies (11-0) remained perfect despite the absence of one of the state's premier hurlers.

Pribyl missed the game to perform in an Ashland High production of "Little Shop of Horrors," but Ross picked up the slack by allowing just six hits and two bases on balls in seven strong innings.

"It was definitely a lot of pressure — my arm feels like it's going to fall off right now," said Ross, who also went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. "I've had extremely bad shoulder problems, but I knew I had to stick it out. I told them at the beginning that I needed all the defense in the world, and they showed me it."

The Grizzlies scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the third when Ross belted a single to left that easily scored Jubilee Sharp from third base.

They added three insurance runs in the fifth when Gilbert, a senior second baseman, hammered Lockett's first offering over the wall in straightaway center.

Lockett fanned two and walked two while allowing 10 hits. Only three Ashland runs were earned as errors contributed to every Ashland rally.

Gilbert, who recently made a verbal commitment to play softball at Humboldt State University, went 3-for-4 and scored twice, while Kylie Cantrell, Ashland's senior catcher, went 2-for-3 and had two RBIs.

Ashland squares off against North Medford today in another nonconference contest.

"We've been hitting the ball really well, and it took us a while to get our bats going," Ashland head coach Misty Potochnik said. "If we hit the ball well, I think we can compete with anybody."

Phoenix 000 000 0 — 0 6 3

Ashland 001 034 x — 8 12 1

Lockett, Stroud-Vega (6) and Heath; Ross and Cantrell. W — Ross (1-0). L — Lockett. 2B — A: Gilbert; P: Heath, Smith. HR — A: Gilbert.

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