Hayley Hall isn’t going to forget her first-ever home run any time soon.

Hall’s two-run shot gave Southside the lead for good in the top of the second, highlighting a five-run inning as the Mavericks went on to an 11-1 win against Ozark in the softball season opener for both teams Monday.

“I thought up and down the lineup (Monday), we had some kids do some really good things. ... One through nine, I felt like they did a good job and they were all able to produce a little bit for us, so that’s definitely exciting to see early on in the season,” Southside coach Cassy Story said.

Trailing 1-0 entering the top of the second, the Mavs (1-0) tied the score on an RBI double from Kendall Willis.

That brought up the next batter, Hall. The sophomore hit a ball that soared just over the fence in left-center to put Southside in front, 3-1.

“It was my first one ever in a game, so it was really exciting,” Hall said.

“Honestly, I thought it was going to be close (to being a home run), but I got a good feeling when I was going around first that it was over (the fence) and then it was, then it was just a really exciting moment.”

Southside eventually hit for the cycle in a five-run five-hit second. The Mavs got two more runs that inning following Hall’s blast with an RBI triple from Madi Conklin, immediately followed by an RBI double off the bat of Hannah Hogue.

That was more than enough run support for Southside sophomore Meliah Hunter, now the team’s primary pitcher.

Hunter gave up one run on five hits and also struck out seven batters.

“I think she did really well,” Story said. “She has worked really hard and she’s come out and I felt like has pitched great the last two ballgames (including Thursday’s benefit game against Russellville) and is really just doing well for us this season, so we expect great things.”

Southside added two more runs in the fourth and four in the top of the seventh to break the game open.

“All in all, with it being our first real game of the year, I felt like we had some really good things,” Story said. “We’re going to come in (Tuesday) and we’re going to work through a couple of the little snags, but I think all in all, they did really well.”

Hunter also went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Hogue went 2-for-5 and drove in three runs, including a two-run triple in the seventh. Willis and Caitlyn Bagby each went 2-for-3 as well.

Ozark (0-1) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-out RBI double from Codi Shannon.

Southside will travel to Van Alstyne, Texas, where the Mavs will compete in a tournament Thursday through Saturday. The Lady Hillbillies return to the diamond on Tuesday with a road trip to Morrilton.
