Apr. 1—The West Limestone Wildcats were celebrating a little extra on Monday night.
The Class 4A, No. 3 ranked softball team has continued to stack wins this season, but Monday the Wildcats picked up one of their biggest yet, blowing past Class 7A, No. 8 Austin 12-0 to pick up their 20th consecutive win.
"That's a pretty big accomplishment," senior Lilly Bethune said. "It's pretty cool that we've been able to stretch it that far."
A year after compiling a 38-11-3 record, West Limestone is on pace to break that, moving to 26-2 with Monday's win.
"Winning 20 in a row and 26 for the season says a lot about this team because being able to keep that momentum isn't easy," said West Limestone head coach Molly Fenn. "The leadership of our seniors has been crucial for that."
West Limestone has been dominant, outscoring its opponents 266-39. That dominance was on full display Monday. The Wildcats scored one run in the third inning before exploding for four each in the fifth and sixth.
Bethune hit her 20th home run of the season and finished with three RBIs and three runs scored. Lilee Legg had three hits and two RBIs, Brylie Posey added three hits, and Aubrey Bethune had a two-run home run.
Through 28 games, the West Limestone offense is averaging more than nine runs a game.
"We know we can hit against anybody if we want to," Lilly Bethune said. "Once we get it going, everybody can hit."
The Wildcats pitching was just as dominant Monday.
Days after striking out 18 batters in a win Belvidere North (Tennessee), Katie Lyn Kyle had another strong showing, holding Austin to two hits and no runs with 13 strikeouts.
"All of my pitches have been working for me lately," Kyle said. "And I have a great defense, so I know whatever I throw, they're going to back me up."
Kyle's 31 strikeouts in her last two games are four more than her sister, JuliAnn, has thrown in her last two starts.
Katie Lyn said the competition between the two pushes them to their best.
"We pitch different ways, but we challenge each other, and it works well for both of us," Katie Lyn said.
At 26-2, West Limestone is certainly rolling, and the Wildcats are hoping to keep that up as they head into April.
"We have a lot of experience on this team, and we know what we're capable of if we keep working," Lilly Bethune said.
— caleb.suggs@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @CalebSuggs2
