CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Kirkwood Cobras softball team traveled to Montgomery Central High on Monday for a matchup on the diamond with the Indians. The Cobras got up early with some timely hits, and Maddie Ratcliff threw a shutout to power Kirkwood to an 11-0 win in five innings.
Early on, the Cobras came out hot. While they stranded a few runners early, they scratched across four runners in the top of the third to take control of the contest. They kept the game out of reach, led by Ratcliff, who threw four shutout innings and was backed up by her defense.
“Central is a young team, and they’re going to be something fierce soon, but we have a lot of returners,” said Kirkwood head coach Kelli Storz. “Our experience really helped us in this contest. I’m really happy with the way our offense has played early on this year, and Maddie has been great; her defense has backed her up.”
While the Indians attempted a rally, they ultimately fell short. Despite the loss, Indians head coach Chris Jackson knows there’s a lot to learn from these games with such a young squad.
“We didn’t compete the way we wanted to tonight,” said Jackson. “With this team, there are nights where we look great and nights where we look young, and tonight we looked young. You can use a night like tonight and learn. I like being that team that’s going to fly under the radar because I think we’re going to be really good come mid-season.”
As for the Cobras, in only their second year as a program, they’re off to a hot start and are looking to make some noise this year.
“We’ve started the year a lot better than last year,” said Storz. “We haven’t been challenged yet, and don’t let your guard down. I want to keep the same approach because that time is coming, and I want to see how we respond.”
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