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The Valley softball team trounced cross-county rivals LaFayette on Tuesday. The Rams mercy-ruled the Bulldogs in three innings, notching a 24-0 win. 

LaFayette started the game with a strikeout. However, the Rams would jump to an early lead. A walk followed by a single by Valley’s Hadley Helleso turned into a two-score at-bat due to an error by an outfielder. 

Mackenzie Atkins then hit a triple, which also turned into an inside-the-park home run after another LaFayette error. Reese Lynch walked and was batted in by Gracyn Melton. LaFayette’s defense’s day went from bad to worse. Melton scored on an error and Payson Meadows got on base with a passed ball third strike. The Rams capitalized on multiple passed balls, walks and errors and put the game away early. LaFayette had 11 errors in the game.

 The top of the first ended with a 10-0 Valley lead. 

Valley pitcher Melton had a one-two-three bottom of the inning. Two groundouts and a strikeout shut down a first-inning catch-up by the Bulldogs. 

The Rams didn’t let up in the second. More walks and errors from LaFayette allowed Valley to put runners on base. Most of Valley’s players who put balls in play were aided by errors. Valley extended the lead to 20-0 in the second inning. 

Meadows had one hit by pitch and three strikeouts to force the Bulldogs back on the defensive. 

The only thing that slowed down the Valley offense was a couple of force-outs caused by runners leaving the bases early. In the end, though, the Rams played classic small ball, adding four more runs before triggering the mercy rule.

Helleso led the team with three hits and four RBIs. Seven Rams picked up RBIs in total on Tuesday. Meadows had a great day on the mound, giving up one hit and tallying six strikeouts. Valley are now 8-10 on the season. 

LaFayette’s Kacey Green got the Bulldog’s lone hit of the game.