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By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

The Davie softball team is humming along with a seven-game winning streak, and its 7-1 record through March 13 marked the greatest start since the 2006 squad opened 8-1.
“We’re on a roll,” coach Nathan Handy said. “We will start the meat of our conference play (this) week. In the grand scheme of things, these are just prep games for our three biggest rivals in conference – East Forsyth, West Forsyth and Reagan. We’re playing well. We’ve got a lot of good things going for us.”
Davie 7, CD 3
Sophomore Addie Brown put the War Eagles in the driver’s seat in a 7-3 nonconference win at Central Davidson on March 10.
With Jadyn Davis on first in the top of the third inning, Brown blasted a two-out, two-run homer to break up a scoreless game.
“Addie has been hitting well all year,” coach Nathan Handy said after Brown’s first bomb of the season. “She’s been putting a lot of work in offensively. They pitched her low. It looked like a drop ball on the outside corner of the plate. She got her hands down to it and it took off. It was a deep shot. Their fence is 210 and it easily cleared it.”
With Brenna Altiers, Hanna Steinour and Landry Parsons on base in the fifth, Raegan Davis opened the floodgates with a bases-clearing triple. When the dust settled, it was 7-0.
“They changed pitchers in that inning,” Handy said. “We had them shook up. We were just waiting for the right opportunity to provide us with some extra runs. They played their outfield real shallow as Reagan is slapping, and she hit it right down the left-field line. The left fielder barely missed the ball and it rolled all the way to the fence. It was a big moment in the game. She’s been a huge asset since she’s been in the lineup. I told her I look at you in the nine hole as a second leadoff, and she’s been doing a great job getting on base.”
Carleigh Croom (2-4, walk) and R. Davis (2-4, three RBIs) had the biggest offensive games, and Riley Potts threw 5.2 scoreless innings with 11 Ks before exiting in the sixth. The Spartans got all three of their runs off Davie relievers.
“We don’t want to use and abuse Riley too much in nonconference games,” Handy said. “The goal is to win every game, absolutely, but we want to make sure we give her enough rest.”
Davie 8, Starmount 3
The War Eagles experienced lousy luck for most of a home nonconference game on March 13. Despite being winless, the Rams (0-5) held a 3-1 lead after five and a half innings.
“We hit the ball real well. We just couldn’t find a hole,” Handy said. “Their shortstop and third baseman played phenomenal games. Every hard-hit ball seemed to find someone. Autumn McEwen hit one that had to go 197. The left fielder tracked it down perfectly and made a great catch. We also had base-running mistakes and shot ourselves in the foot two or three times.”
After Starmount’s pitcher permitted just two runs on five hits in the first five innings, Davie’s lightning-strike offense was nails in the sixth. Two walks and an error were blended with singles from Altiers and L. Parsons. Then came the defining moment, a two-run double by McEwen.
“I knew at any time we were going to bust it open, I just wasn’t sure when,” Handy said.
After Croom reached, J. Davis delivered the final dagger with the second two-run double of the six-run inning. Then Raelyn Lankford became the ninth straight batter to reach base as Davie scored the six runs on five hits, two walks and two errors.
“We went through some adversity for the first time since South Iredell, and it was good for us to have to fight back,” Handy said. “Jadyn’s ball was a shot. When it came off the bat, I thought it might be a home run. It was a hard line drive, a one-hopper off the fence.”
Earlier, in the Starmount half of the third, Rachael Bates and Baylee Childress ripped back-to-back triples to take the 3-1 lead. But then Potts turned the water off, striking out the next six batters and finishing with 12 Ks in a three-hitter.
Croom, the reliable leadoff batter, went 2 for 4. L. Parsons (2-2, walk) and McEwen (2-3) also had two hits and Steinour doubled as Davie achieved the best start in 19 years.
“Hanna hit one that was ripped in the second inning, a one-hopper off the fence,” Handy said of the second baseman who also had a defensive gem in the third. “The ball was hit a couple of steps away from (first baseman Brown), and Hanna went all but behind first base. That was a phenomenal (4-3) play, a great show of her skills.”
Potts has rolled up 57 strikeouts in 32.1 innings, and L. Parsons’ sophomore bat has been something to see – 12 for 18 for a Coy James-like .666 average.
“Landry has been phenomenal this year,” Handy said. “She’s come up clutch so many times.”