The black crosses on Paige Stewart’s and Faith Whitford’s faces were a fashion statement.
“I think eye black makes you look cooler,” Stewart, Campbell County’s senior pitcher, said. “Everything you do is for God.”
Stewart, Whitford and the rest of the Camels made a softball statement Wednesday. They won their sixth straight – and the top seed in next month’s 37th District tournament – with a 10-0, five-inning run-rule win over Bishop Brossart.
Campbell County won its sixth straight and 10th of its last 11. Camels coach Sandi Kitchen offered multiple reasons.
“I think, No. 1, our pitchers are doing a great job throwing strikes,” Kitchen said. “And our defense has pulled up … I can’t remember, really, the last error that we’ve had. We’re very strong in the defensive part of the game, and offensively we’re stringing hits together. Right now, we’re rollin’.”
Campbell County (13-3, 3-0) had plenty of offense. Center fielder Josie Feebeck was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs, third baseman Hope Hamilton was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, and Izzy Whisman doubled.
Stewart improved to 7-0. She didn’t strike out anyone, but she didn’t mind.
“I definitely feel better,” said Stewart, who’s headed to Thomas More University next fall. “I think it’s my (pitches’) movement, but I also think it’s my defense; they back me up very well.”
For Brossart, Wednesday was 68 minutes of agony, and not just because Stewart allowed only three hits. The Lady ‘Stangs fell to 1-2 in the district (and 10-10 overall) and committed four errors on the way to a fourth straight defeat and fifth in the last seven.
Brossart was also short one pitcher. Senior Morgan Kramer hurt her non-throwing left arm in Tuesday’s 11-9 loss to Scott, and junior Maddie Kremer and Ava Thomas have thrown only nine innings between them.
“I think (Kramer’s) fine,” Brossart coach Tom Baynum said. “She said she felt good (Wednesday). She pulled something in it, so we decided to (sit) her and let her rest.”
Kremer and Thomas gave up a combined five walks, with two hit batters.
After Brossart’s Brooke Shewmaker doubled to open the game, Stewart induced a popup and two groundouts to end the threat. Feebeck countered that with a double, and she scored on an error in the bottom of the first.
In the second, Hamilton’s double scored Feebeck and Stewart, and Whisman and Breahna Tate came home on errors. The one controversial call was Whitford being thrown out at the plate.
Campbell County scored five times in the third. In order: Jayci Kremer came home when Thomas hit Tate with the bases loaded, Whisman scored on Feebeck’s single, and Sam Perry, Tate and Feebeck came home on Hamilton’s single and an error.
Brossart hosts New Richmond at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Campbell County continues its five-game home stand against Dixie Heights at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The Camels entertain Bracken County Monday, Harrison County Tuesday and Mason County May 4 before meeting two-time defending 16th Region champion Lewis County May 5 in Vanceburg.
BISHOP BROSSART — 000-00x-x – 0-3-4
CAMPBELL COUNTY — 145-0xx-x – 10-6-0
Kremer, Thomas (3) and Phirman; Stewart and Whisman. WP – Stewart (7-0). LP – Kremer (0-1). 2B- Shewmaker (BB), Feebeck (CC), Whisman (CC), Hamilton (CC).