Faith Lutheran breaks out long ball to whip Cheyenne

Softball is often a game of slap hits and bunts.

Faith Lutheran didn’t mess around with any of that small stuff Tuesday.

The Crusaders hit two home runs and had five extra-base hits en route to an 8-2 home victory over Cheyenne.

“We don’t mind playing small ball, but it’s nice to just hit the ball hard, too,” Faith Lutheran coach John Chilman said. “It’s a different dynamic with this team, but they’re really coming into their own and growing with each game. And that’s what a young team needs to do.”

Base-running miscues kept the Crusaders off the board early, but Lauryn Lipe made sure running the bases wouldn’t be a problem when she hit a ball over the left-field fence for a two-run homer with two outs in the third inning to make the score 2-0. Cheyenne Kidd added a three-run homer over the fence in left in the sixth for Faith Lutheran.

“We have five home runs now, and in the six years I’ve been here, we’ve never hit more than three in a season,” Chilman said. “That is totally something that gets the girls jazzed up. That was nice to see.”

Faith Lutheran (9-7, 3-0 I-A Southern League) got back-to-back doubles from Lauren Beatty and Alex Wright to start the fourth, and Mosie Foley added an RBI single to make the score 4-0.

That was more than enough for Foley, who was in control throughout in the circle. She took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished with a three-hitter. Neither run was earned, and she struck out five with no walks. Foley hadn’t pitched in more than a week and took advantage of the rest.

“That clearly paid off,” Chilman said. “Her fastball was about 4 or 5 miles an hour faster than it’s been. She was on today, our hitters were on, and I doubt we’ll have it that easy next time we play them at their place.”

Beatty was 4-for-4 with two doubles, and Lipe went 2-for-3 with three runs to lead the 12-hit attack.

“We’re just hitting the ball so hard right now that it’s really saving us a lot,” Chilman said. “We have seven, eight girls that are hitting the ball really hard, so that’s probably the biggest reason we’re doing well.”

Brittny Phillips broke up Foley’s no-hitter with an infield single with one out in the sixth, and Courtney Gain had an RBI single for the Desert Shields (11-6-1, 2-1).

Contact prep sports editor Damon Seiters at dseiters@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4587. Follow him on Twitter: @DamonSeiters.