AHOSKIE – In a week in which they will play six games in seven days things did not begin well for the Ridgecroft School softball team as they dropped a pair of road games on Monday and Tuesday.

Monday the Lady Rams fell 12-7 to Hobgood after fighting their way back from an 8-0 deficit.  Erin Cooke took the loss for Ridgecroft allowing 12 runs on 14 hits while striking out five and walking seven. She was also two-for-four at the plate and drove in a pair of runs while teammate Dana Vann was also 2-for-4 and had 3 RBI.

Trailing by eight runs in the top of the fifth inning Leanna Hughes led off with a walk followed by a Mackenzie Brown single and a Laurel Boone walk to load the bases.  Cooke then singled home Hughes for Ridgecroft’s first run of the game and Dana Vann singled in Brown and Boone. Cooke would later score on a single by Emily Grace and Dana Vann scored on a groundout by Ruthie Daniels to make it 8-5, Hobgood.

The Lady Raiders put four more runs up in the bottom of the fifth to make it 12-5, but Ridgecroft kept plugging away. They got a pair in the top of the sixth when Hughes walked, Brown and Boone reached on errors and Hughes scored on a single by Cooke. Brown scored on a bases loaded walk to Dana Vann to make it 12-7, but the threat ended on a triple play by Hobgood. Demi Barwick caught a line drive to short, stepped on second to double up Cooke and threw to third to get Boone for the final out.  The Rams loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with one out but two fielder’s choice plays ended the game.

” I am very proud of the effort from today’s game and the fact that this team does not quit,” said coach Jon Northcott. “We fight hard until the last out and we have a lot of good softball left to play.”

However, it didn’t happen for the Lady Rams Tuesday at Bear Grass Charter School. Bear Grass won 12-7 as Ridgecroft made six errors. The Rams gave up four runs in both the 4th and 5th innings on a total of 3 hits but committed 3 errors in each inning. Erin Cooke took the loss but had a great day at the plate going 4 for 4 with 3 doubles and her first home run of the season. She also scored 3 times and drove in 4 runs. Ridgecroft hosted Hobgood on Wednesday before traveling to Lawrence today (Thursday).