By Thomas Sellers Jr.
COVINGTON — The Munford Lady Cougars traveled two hours away from home for a reality check.
Coming into the 2013, the team featuring experienced seniors, Best of the Preps finalist Jodi Duncan and the veteran coaching of Glenn Goulder were picked by most experts to win District 13-3A.
Some even predicted the Lady Cougars might be unbeaten in league play. But last week the Hardin County Lady Tigers ended any thought of that with a walk-off two-run homer.
Munford bounced back from it’s first league lost by dominating the second game 9-0. To conclude the week the Lady Cougars participated in the 2013 Covington Softball Tournament. After the Lady Cougars finished a contest in a 4-4 tie with the Obion Central Lady Rebels, Goulder gave his assessment of his team’s play lately.
“Spotty,” he said. “We’ve played good at times and not so good at times. It looks like when we play defense, our offense sometimes spuders. When offense is clicking, our defense spuders at times. We’re 16-6. We’ve played well at times and times we haven’t played well. It’s beginning to be real serious because its district time.”
Before taking on Obion, the Lady Cougars earned a 16-6 record. The game with the Lady Rebels didn’t result in a win or loss thanks to Duncan’s game-tying hit in the fourth inning.
Munford left the ballfield in Covington Friday night not adding to it’s loss total. The well-traveled Lady Cougars started the week in Savannah with a scheduled doubleheader against district foe Hardin County.
The Lady Cougars were fed a diet of off-speed pitches and screw balls in the first game. The Lady Tiger pitcher was able to strike out 10 Munford batters setting the game for the game-winning homer.
Facing a new pitcher in game two, the Lady Cougars feasted on the pitching blowing Hardin County out.
“The second game we beat them pretty good,” Goulder said. “You need to win all those district games especially the way Brighton is playing right now. They’re playing lights out. We have a couple of big games next week.
The games against district and county rival Brighton will go a long way in determining what team will earn the No. 1 seed in the district tournament in May. Goulder said his team has the experience after reaching State the past two years. He wants to see another level of intensity from his Lady Cougars down the stretch.
“We’ve got to start making some hustle plays,” he said. “That’s what I got upset about. I understand errors are going to come but when you don’t give 100 percent as far as hustling and covering the bag you’re supposed be at or trying as hard as you can, then I have a problem.
“And we had a talk with some young ladies about that,” Goulder concluded. “We decided if you’re not going to put out 100 percent, then you’ll set the bench for a while. We challenged them tonight. Now we’ll see if the challenge is going to work.”