NEDERLAND — Have a day, Bailey Beard.
The Nederland senior slapped two home runs for the Lady Bulldogs Tuesday in a 15-0 victory over the Vidor Lady Pirates to open District 22-5A for both teams.
Beard finished 2 for 4 with six RBI and three runs. Her second homer was a grand slam.
Lindsey Taylor went 4 for 4, and her three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth ended the game due to the run-rule.
It was the type of game a coach is always proud to see. Will Mallette was, but now he knows his Lady Bulldogs (10-3, 1-0) are not going to sneak up on anyone this year.
“I would much rather be the underdog,” Mallette said. “With a score like tonight’s, I don’t think that is going to happen much this season.”
Madyson Guidry was busy mowing Lady Pirates (0-1) down. The senior struck out 10 batters in four innings with one hit and three walks.
“I don’t think Mady ever changes her mindset,” Mallette said. “She wants to go out and strike everyone out. I don’t mind pitching to contact and letting the defense play ball. Tonight I guess she didn’t see that fit.”
Nederland jumped on Vidor early with three runs in the bottom of the first.
Hannah Smith hit a single to left before Hannah Goode drew a walk on nine pitches.
Beard then laced a three-run bomb to center for the 3-0 lead.
Smith and Goode scored again in the second.
Taylor singled to right to score Smith for a 4-0 lead. Goode would score on the same play as Nederland took a 5-0 advantage.
The Lady Bulldogs tacked on five runs in the third.
Destini Trahan drew a leadoff walk and eventually came home on a bases-loaded walk.
Kassidy Litchfield and Goode both walked and Smith had reached on an error to load the bases for Beard.
This time she went to left field for the homer and it was her first career grand slam in high school softball.
“I knew it was going to come in,” Beard said. “I have never really hit inside pitches. They pitched me inside and obviously I was able to hit it. I have been working on that.
“We really needed this one to start off the district season. We lost to them the first game of district last year and it got us down. This was a great win.”
The Lady Bulldogs compete in the Cy-Fair Tournament Thursday starting at 11 a.m. against La Porte. Nederland faces Cy-Fair at 12:40 p.m. and Klein Collins at 5:20 p.m. Thursday.