MERIDIAN — Hayleigh Harper may have struggled with her control early in the season.
However, Enterprise's freshman pitcher was sharp Friday night, striking out 14 as the Bulldogs rolled past host Southeast Lauderdale 12-0 in six innings.
"I thought she threw well," Enterprise coach Josh Perkins said. "She had struggled with her control early in the year, but I thought tonight she hit spots, she located and was able to throw good pitches. And that helped."
Harper was in control from the start against the Tigers. After allowing an infield single to Denisha Knight to start the game, Harper proceeded to strike out the side, a feat she accomplished in three innings. Southeast (2-4) managed just five hits and six baserunners total.
Knight, who had two infield singles, reached three times to pace the Tigers.
"Our leadoff hitter got on all three times, and that's all you can ask for," Southeast coach Mack Fanning said. "You can't do any better than that.
"We had been hitting the ball well up until tonight, but Hayleigh shut us down. She's as good a pitcher as there is in the area."
The Tigers' best chance to reach Harper came in the fourth when Brittany Pounders led off with a double down the right-field line. However, Harper proceeded to strike out the next two and after Pounders advanced to third on a wild pitch, Harper induced a one-hopper back to the mound from Miranda Chatham to end the threat.
It was the only time Southeast put a runner at third.
"It was huge when you can get a strikeout in that situation," Perkins said. "You get a leadoff double, with a runner at second and nobody out you don't even need a hit to score a run. A bunt here, a groundball there and the run is in. So, to get a strikeout in that situation is huge."
The Tigers did put two runners on in the sixth when Knight walked and Bri Roulier singled, however Harper again got a strikeout and then a pair of pop-ups to Randa Mathis at first base to end the game.
While Harper toyed with the Southeast bats, Enterprise's offense caught fire in the third thanks to some help from the Tigers' defense. Southeast committed two errors in the third, fourth and sixth innings leading to big innings from the Bulldogs (3-2) each time.
Enterprise broke the scoreless tie in the third, thanks to the defensive miscues, and hits from Harper, Morgan Porter and Mathis, who knocked in two with her blooper into left.
"We played, I guess, two innings of decent ball," Fanning said. "Then we made an error and they picked up three runs in the third, and that kind of opened the door up a bit.
"That's the mark of a good team, in my opinion. You give a team four outs, and they're going to make you pay."
The Bulldogs then broke the game open with a five-run fourth. Bethany Volking sparked the rally with a double into left with one out. The next eight Bulldogs would reach base with Stacia Whitaker and Haylee Roberts adding singles, Roberts knocking in a run. Porter also drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk in the rally.
"They made some mistakes and gave us some chances and, finally, we were able to take advantage of them and get some hits," Perkins added. "We made some mistakes and didn't take very good swings at times, but you have to take advantage of what they give you and we were able to do that tonight."
Enterprise tacked on one run in the fifth with a triple from Volking, who had three extra-base hits, and an RBI single from Harper. The Bulldogs then scored three more in the sixth with Blair Hennington driving in a run on a fielder's choice and Volking doubling in anther run.
Whitaker had three hits for Enterprise, while Harper, Roberts and Mathis all had two singles.
Sports
Related Photos
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Enterprise's Haylee Roberts dives back to second as Southeast Lauderdale's Paige Sheppard tries to apply the tag after catching a line drive for an out.
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Enterprise's Halee Roberts gets back to first on the pick off attempt by Southeast Lauderdale's Cortney Harper.
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Southeast Lauderdale's Denisha Knight steals second as Enterprise's Haley Brooke Smith tries to get to the ball.
Discussion
In Control
Harper, Enterprise shut down Southeast
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