By Brandon Sumrall / Special to the Advertiser

A tough season for Verbena continued April 12, as the Lady Devils will be forced to continue searching for their first win of the season after a 10-0 loss at home to the Fayetteville Lady Wolves.

A big five-run first inning for the visiting Wolves put Verbena into a large deficit right out of the gate. A leadoff walk to Natalie Richie would set up a RBI single by Julie Shell. With a three-RBI double by Emma Ray along with a passed ball at the plate, the Lady Devils were forced to face a large up hill climb before taking their first at bat.

With a one-out single by Macey Kelley amounting for all the Verbena offense in the home half of the first, action would move to the second with the Wolves leading by five.

A leadoff error by the Red Devils would see Richey advance as far as third before Verbena retired the side, but a three up and three down bottom half of the inning would keep the score at 5-0 in favor of the Wolves after two innings of play.

A solo home run by Graysn Hughes and a RBI single by Brynlee Bassett would tack on two more for Fayetteville in the top of the third, while another three up and three down inning for Verbena would make it a 7-0 game going to the fourth.

Shell would add one more for the Wolves with a one-out RBI double with Natalie Liner adding another on a RBI single. Fayetteville extended its lead to nine.

A leadoff single by Kelley and a fielder’s choice single by Jenae Pierce would be of little help for Verbena after a pair of groundouts in the home half of the fourth. The Lady Devils would trail 9-0 going to the fifth.

A shutout top half of the inning by the Red Devils would give way to a leadoff single by Madison Kelley to start the home half. The Lady Devils would advance Kelley as far as second, but a pair of strikeouts and a ground ball back to second base would bring a close to the inning.

Hughes would start the top of the sixth with a leadoff single. With a RBI single by Bassett, the Wolves would reach the 10-run mark. The consecutive outs later by the Red Devils would bring the game to an end on the mercy rule while dropping Verbena to 0-8 on the season.
Pierce got the start on the mound for Verbena and threw six innings while allowing nine runs on 11 hits with five walks and four strikeouts. Macey Kelley led Verbena at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance with a pair of singles.