Washington coach Doug Whitehead likes to say hitting is contagious and on Thursday his whole team looked sick as the Pam Pack mashed out 13 runs on 13 hits to throttle Coastal Conference rival West Carteret 13-0 in five innings.
After a scoreless first, Washington rallied for two runs in the second, five in third, two in the fourth and four in the fifth to wrap up the victory.
“I’ve said this before, but in girls’ softball hitting is very contagious,” Whitehead said. “We get one hit, two hits, three hits then they all get the fever.”
Every player in the Pam Pack starting lineup had at least one hit as the team upped its record to 12-3 (7-1). Kaylee Jackson led the slugfest as she went 3-4 with three RBIs, while Adriana Tyson and Haley Wright each had two hits and drove in a run. Justyce McKissick was 1-3 with two RBIs, Haley Hutchins went 2-4 and Anna Hardison, Camri Dawson and Allison Brantley each had one hit.
The increased production was a welcomed sight for a Pam Pack team whose hitting had been inconsistent during the holiday break.
“We did not play extremely well during the Easter tournament. We started to score a little more towards the end but we had not been hitting the ball well,” Whitehead said. “We bounced back on Tuesday when we beat West Craven 3-1 but we didn’t really tear the ball up. I was glad the bats came alive tonight.”
Washington scored in a variety of ways on Thursday as they moved runners well and came up with big hits when needed.
“We did a little bit of small ball early on when we got some runners on. … We had two bunt singles in the second before Adriana Tyson got a rip and scored some runs for us,” Whitehead said. “Overall, it was a good night.”
The Pack’s pitching was equally stellar as Rebekah Langston struck out six and allowed one hit in three innings to get the win. Langston would pitch the final two innings and allowed one hit and fanned four to preserve the shutout and victory.
“It was a very good night for both pitchers,” Whitehead said.
The Pam Pack will look to keep its momentum going on Tuesday when it’s back in action on the road at Jacksonville.

Washington    025    24    —    13    13
West Carteret    000    00    —    0    2
WP: Rebekah Langston.
Hitting for Washington: Anna Hardison 1-3, Haley Hutchins 2-4, Justyce McKissick 1-4 (2 RBI), Adriana Tyson 2-4 (2B, RBI), Haley Wright 2-3 (RBI), Kaylee Jackson 3-4 (3 RBI), Camri Dawson 1-2, Alison Brantley 1-3.