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Montevallo's Georgia Hughes had a strong 4-for-4 game at the plate with three RBIs to lead the Bulldogs to their fifth straight win. (Reporter photo/Keith McCoy)

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

MONTEVALLO – After a 4-6 start to the 2018 softball season, Montevallo has gone on a tear winning five consecutive games by a combined 78-8 with the latest win in the win streak being a 16-1 thumping against Holt on Thursday, March 22.

In four of their last five games, the Bulldogs have pitched shut outs against their opponents before giving up the one run to Holt in the final inning of the shortened four-inning win.

Montevallo (9-6) was able to outhit Holt 12-1, while the Bulldog’s committed just one error to Holts’ 10 in the game.

Montevallo’s strong day at the plate got started in the bottom of the first inning with three quick runs.

It all started with a leadoff single from Georgia Hughes. That was followed by two straight errors that not only allowed Savannah Polk and Hayden Dennis to reach base safely, but also allowed Hughes to cross the plate after she quickly stole second and third base to score on the error during Polk’s ground ball to shortstop.

Jazmine Davis then brought in the final two runs of the inning with a deep fly ball to left field that found the turf for a double to drive in Polk and Reauna Inabette.

After a quick second inning defensively, the Bulldogs came back to the plate in the bottom of the second and put together a strong two-out rally.

The rally featured six consecutive singles from Anna Kate Oden, Hughes, Polk, Dennis, Davis and Ceanna Grisham to bring in four more runs for a commanding 7-0 lead through two innings of play.

Montevallo pitched another 1-2-3 inning defensively and got right back to the plate in the bottom of the third with the most explosive inning of the game.

You could tell it was going to be a strong inning when Candace Underwood led it off with an inside the park home run on a ground ball that got through the left field side.

That was followed by a ground out, but then three straight errors ensued to bring in two more runs, before Polk picked up an RBI single to shortstop to give the Bulldogs an 11-0 lead.

Dennis followed that up with a bases-clearing triple to right field to extend Montevallo’s lead to 13-0. The Bulldogs scored one more run in the inning due to an error.

Holt added its only run in the top of the fourth, before Montevallo scored two more in the bottom half of the inning on a Hughes’ single and another error to create the final score of 16-1.

Dennis and Hughes both finished 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs, while Hughes scored four runs and Dennis scored one. Davis led the team with a game-high four RBIs after a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.

Polk went 3-for-4 offensively with two RBIs and three runs scored. Grisham went 2-for-3 at the plate with one run scored, while Oden also went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Dennis pitched all four innings in the circle and allowed one run on one hit and struck out seven.

Photos available at Shelbycountyphotos.com

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