By DREW GRANTHUM/Sports Writer

MONTEVALLO — Every team strives to start its season on a strong note, and the Montevallo Bulldogs softball team did just that with 11-1 win over Indian Springs Feb. 20.

The tone was set early in a one-hit performance by pitcher Destiny Upton, as she opened the game with three-straight strikeouts to retire the side in order. Indian Springs kept even early, allowing just one base runner via error in the first.

Upton, who was perfect through the first three innings, again retired the side in order in the top of the second.

The Bulldogs kicked off scoring in the bottom of the second, as Katelynn Hamrick and Kaley Kornegay led off the inning with singles. Emri Hannah then ripped a triple to drive in the runs, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead. Sachie Broadhead’s groundout then brought Hannah in, and Lacey Hamrick scored on an inside-the-park homerun to go up 4-0. When the inning finally ended, the Bulldogs found themselves up, 5-0.

ISS went three up, three down again in the third, and Kornegay added another Montevallo run in the bottom half after a triple and advancing on a wild pitch.

Indian Springs got on the board in the top half of the fourth, making it a 6-1 game, but the Bulldogs roared back in the bottom.

Broadhead led the inning off with a bunt single, advancing to second on a passed ball. A fielding error led to her advancing to third and Lacey Hamrick reaching first. A single by Georgia Hughes brought the two in, making it 8-1 in favor of the Dawgs. Upton then drilled a long fly ball off the wall to score Hughes, with Upton scoring on a Megan Dockery triple to make the score 10-1. Dockery then scored to make it 11-1 in favor of the home team.

Indian Springs had a chance to extend the game in the fifth, but was unable to convert, falling victim to the 10-run mercy rule.

Hughes went 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, while Upton gave up the one hit while recording eight strikeouts.

Stats were unavailable for Indian Springs, as the squad looks to regroup against Isabella March 3.