News Photo by James Andersen Hillman senior pitcher Vanessa Schook winds up to throw during the first game in a softball doubleheader against Newberry on Friday at Hillman High School.

HILLMAN–Going into the season opener, new Hillman High School softball coach Ken Rundell was hoping to see his team hit the ball well.

He didn’t have to wait very long.

The Tigers got more than enough hits and backed those up with heads-up base running on the way to beating Newberry by mercy-rule twice on Friday, 15-0 in three innings.

Hillman finished the day with 18 hits and gave Rundell a pair of victories in his debut. The former Hillman baseball coach will lead the Tigers this season, succeeding former coach Rich Price.

“I was definitely looking for them to get the bat on the ball, so we spent a lot of time hitting and form. It’s tough coming in with a new coach and (doing) what the coach is going to want,” Rundell said. “We try not to tweak them to much, but look for things that can make them better.”

In the nightcap the Tigers got to Rudyard early, scoring 11 runs in their first turn at the plate. They added two runs in each of the next two innings for the three-inning win.

In the third inning, Morgan Dove grounded out to score Morgan Armon and Autumn Jones singled home Alison Samp for the winning run, legging out a single with two outs.

The Tigers took advantage of the Indians’ miscues all afternoon for easy stolen bases and were helped by a half dozen passed balls in the second game. In the midst of Hillman’s 11-run barrage in the first inning, Armon had an RBI single and Jozie Appelgren and Eve LaFleche each had a two run double.

Lizzy Weiland and LaFleche each had an RBI single in the second inning.

Dove earned the win for Hillman, allowing one hit with one strikeout and one walk.

Armon had three hits, Appelgren and LaFleche each had two hits and two RBIs and Jones and Samp each had two hits.

“It’s fantastic (to open with a win). We worked real hard in the gym and both teams played hard,” Rundell said. “It’s hard the first few times out in the weather and I saw a lot of encouraging things and we’re going to try and keep on working on those little things we can get better at.”

Hillman didn’t wait long to make contact, sending 11 batters to the plate in the first inning of the first game. LaFleche grounded out to score Lyndsey Ryba for Hillman’s first run and the Tigers picked up steam from there.

Hillman’s next five batters reached base safely and each of them scored. By the end of the inning, Hillman led 7-0 and tacked on another seven runs in the second inning, highlighted by Vanessa Schook’s solo home run to right field. Brooke Jones followed up later in the inning with a two-run double.

Andrea Taratuta scored Hillman’s final run after being doubled home by Olivia Smith in the third inning.

Schook earned the win, striking out four while allowing two hits and walking one. Schook added two hits and two RBIs at the plate. Brooke Jones had two RBI and scored twice, Taratuta scored three runs and Dove and Ryba each scored twice.

Coming off an impressive basketball season, Rundell is hopeful his team can transfer things they learned on the court to the field, especially dealing with pressure as the season goes on.

“The chemistry is great. These girls have been together quite a while,” Rundell said. “These girls just had a fantastic basketball season and when you get in a game situation and it’s win or go home, the more you can be involved in those types of situations, the better you’re going to handle on.”

Hilllman hosts Johannesburg-Lewiston on Monday.