Trojans cruise past the Vikings in softball

The Jones Senior Trojans (5-3) were rolling on the softball field on Thursday afternoon, defeating the Kinston Vikings (0-9) in an 18-2 victory. Trojans' Lynn King demonstrated her prowess both as a pitcher and a batter, driving in six RBIs.

Usually seen in catcher gear, King was given the opportunity to try a different position by Coach Jody Turner. She pitched three innings, allowing no hits, three walks, two runs, and striking out seven batters.

"I felt like it was alright," King said. "I definitely could have done better, but they had my back hitting, so it was alright."

Two Trojans hitters, Payten Pyler and King, both sophomores, had multiple hits. Pyler went 2-3 with three RBIs, while King went 2-3 with six RBIs. With five Trojans absent due to track and field, Turner was pleased with how his players adapted to new positions.

"I was able to move a lot of players around today," Turner said. "My catcher pitched, my second baseman caught, and third base played short. That helped us out a lot. They got some experience, and it helped them get ready for East Carteret tomorrow night."

The first matchup between the two schools resulted in a 15-0 Trojan victory, but Turner could see improvement in the Vikings during the second game.

"Coach Hines is a great coach," Turner said. "Those girls are motivated and ready to play every time we play them. They do not quit, they play with character and play with class."

Despite being outscored 104-0 in their first six games, the Lady Vikings managed to score four runs in their last three games. Kinston's roster is full of young and inexperienced players eager to learn.

"I think the kids are doing excellent," said assistant Vikings coach Alicia Bynum. "We have a lot of kids that have never played softball before. Kinston is a basketball town, not a softball town."

The Lady Trojans are on a two-game winning streak, including an impressive 9-3 win over conference opponent East Carteret (7-5). Jones Senior will face East Carteret at home in Trenton on Friday at 6:00 p.m. The Kinston Vikings will take on Wallace-Rose Hill next Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. in Teachey, NC.