MONTICELLO — It’s been a rollercoaster of a few weeks for Crystal Stidham’s Corbin Lady Redhounds.
Injuries, and illnesses have played a big roll in Corbin’s 2-3 start.
Corbin ran into some struggles again during Friday’s road matchup with Wayne County, falling, 17-7.
“Well tonight just wasn’t our night, but coming into tonight’s game, we had several girls fighting illness and playing through it, some injured or playing with injuries, some coming back from injuries, and one of my two pitchers is two days out of having strep, just not 100 percent,” Stidham said. “Two of my Seniors are still out on a school trip, so adjusting my field has been our task.
“As I told my girls, I know what we’ve got and I know what kind of team I have, this loss will not and does not define them, but gave us the opportunity to see many of them in roles we hadn’t seen them in, places we can utilize them and without games like tonight, we don’t see what we have until we try,” she added. “It’s early, only our fifth game. I’ve had to adjust the lineup every game, but I feel it gives us an advantage that others may not have in the long run. I played almost every player tonight in some capacity.”
Despite the loss, Stidham said she was proud of the effort her players gave.
“I am proud of so many things my girls did tonight,” she said. “Kennedie Guiher showed up big at the plate tonight going 2-for-2, just getting the ball in play with a couple great hits. Raegan Walker found her bat tonight going 3-for-5 with a single, a double, and a two-run home run and two RBI on the night.
“Morgan Hicks is finding her rhythm after only her second game of the season coming back from a hamstring injury going 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI,” Stidham added. “Abi Beller collected a hit along with an RBI, and Alana Stidham collected a hit. Averi Croley is a name you are going to hear, she went 1-for-2 at the plate and came in relief pitching and she showed great poise and promise on the mound, big stakes making her first varsity appearance and she’s a seventh grader. I moved eighth grader Mikaila Hopkins from second to catcher during the game. Freshman Lydia King is getting comfortable at 3rd working hard for her second game there.
“It’s just been a lot of adjusting, sure the game didn’t go like we would have liked but we only had three strikeouts and rest were balls in play, with 10 being hits,” she continued. “We learned a lot tonight and I am very proud of the ladies for stepping up and making plays and doing what we have asked of them. We will learn from this game and move to the next, my ladies are awesome. Let’s Go Lady Redhounds.”
