Consecutive conference victories have the Pinecrest softball players and their coaches feeling optimistic about the rest of the season.

Tuesday afternoon, the Patriots settled the issue early against visiting Westover. They scored 10 runs in the bottom of the first inning on the way to a 16-2 win. The game ended after the top of the fifth inning under the 10-run mercy rule.

Freshman Keely Robinson and sophomore Abby Hinson shared the mound duty for the Pats with the latter going three innings to gain credit for the victory. The pair combined to allow only three hits while striking out six batters, walking none and hitting one.

The Patriots take a 2-2 mark in the Mid-Southeastern Conference, and 2-5-1 overall, into Friday's 6 p.m. home contest against Seventy-First.

Junior leftfielder Alexis Gibson reached base twice and scored a pair of runs in the big first inning. She likes being a part of a young team that should only get better.

"We're building up our confidence and starting to play as a team," she said afterward. "We're getting close and I like that."

After Robinson retired the Wolverines in order to start the game, Hinson and Gibson both walked, leading off the bottom of the first. Hinson came around on a stolen base and a passed ball to open the scoring. A single, ripped through the left side of the infield by freshman Lindsay Parkin, produced another run. A triple to right-center by Olivia Cioccalanti opened the floodgates.

Wolverine errors and some aggressive base running contributed to the final five runs of the inning.

With the bases loaded, all of the runners scored on a wild throw home followed by an errant throw from the catcher. Moments later, two more raced across the plate on a wild pitch.

"We try to take advantage of every single situation," Gibson said. "We still need to work on some stuff, but we're getting better."

Destani Baker beat out a bunt to lead off the bottom of the second. She stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Alex Harrison singled her home. A triple down the right field line by Robinson and a single by Gibson were the other hits as the Patriots scored five times to increase their advantage to 15-0.

Singles by Faith Williams and Hinson led to the final Patriot run in the third inning. A booming triple to right center by Arynda Wilson was the key blow as the Wolves spoiled the shutout by scoring twice in the fifth.

Several outstanding defensive plays were made by the Patriots. Third baseman Cioccalanti speared a line drive off the bat of Deven Shaw in the third inning and fired to first to double off the base runner.

In the fourth, Jennica Denham made a nice running catch on a blooper into short right field. First baseman Lizzie Smith made a lunging grab of a foul ball for the second out in the fifth.

The Patriots are entered in the Mustang Classic at North Moore on Saturday. Next Tuesday they will make up the game that was rained out at Jack Britt last Friday.

Coach Paul Goins and a number of his players say they spotted the tornado that may have caused damage near Hope Mills as they were leaving the Jack Britt campus after Friday's game was called.

Goins is pleased with his team's progress, but would like to see more intensity and hustle than was displayed in the one-sided game.

"We need to get a lot better," he said, "but we're young with a lot of freshmen and sophomores. We're getting there, but we're not there yet."

R H E

Westover 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 7

Pinecrest 10 5 1 0 - 16 9 3

T. Miller and Shaw. Robinson, Hinson (2), Robinson (4), Hinson (5) and Harrison. WP Hinson LP Miller; Leading hitters (W) A. Wilson 1-2, TR, RBI (P) Cioccalanti 2-4, TR, 2 RBI, Robinson 1-3, TR, Parkin 1-1, RBI, Hinson 1-2, RBI, Harrison 1-4, RBI.