Republic’s softball team split a pair of Friday games at the Lead-Off Tournament, hosted by Republic Parks and Rec. The Lady Tigers dropped their opener to Dadeville 3-2, then bounced back with an 8-0 win over Hartville behind a one-hitter from Kendra Goeke.
**Dadeville 3, Republic 2**
Dadeville scored three runs in the top of the first inning, and that was all the scoring it needed. Jayma Pitchford settled in after the first and shut Dadeville out the rest of the way, but Republic couldn’t complete the comeback.
The Lady Tigers scored a run in the third and another in the fifth, but never got the tying run home. Dadeville’s pitcher struck out seven Republic batters and held the Lady Tigers to four hits — one each from Kate Stulce, Mia Carnes, Myleigh Mooneyham, and Pitchford.
Pitchford went all five innings, allowing six hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
**Republic 8, Hartville 0**
Goeke was in control from start to finish in the nightcap. She struck out eight, walked two, and allowed just one hit in five shutout innings.
Republic broke the game open with five runs in the second inning, then added a run in each of the last three innings. Mia Carnes hit a home run to highlight the attack in the bottom of the second — an inning that also included doubles by Maddie Carter and Emma Ellison, and a single by Chloe Simpson.
Six different Lady Tigers had a hit — Carnes, Ellison, Carter, Maddie Taylor, Simpson, and Pitchford. Republic didn’t strike out a single time in the game.
The tournament continues on Saturday.
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