With 10 homers in nine games, Brighton Lady Cardinals on track for record-setting season

It’s hard, if not impossible, to find records for most homers hit by a high school softball team in a season. It’s safe to say, however, that Brighton is on track to hit the most in program history.

Heading into last night’s district showdown at Munford, the Lady Cardinals had hit eight homers in eight games, led by six from Brie Howard.

Last night was more of the same as Mattie Perkins and Adin Shelton each homered to lead Brighton to a 13-3 win and give the Lady Cardinals 10 homers in nine games. Kelsey Camp and Carley Cook have also gone deep this season.

Fifteen homers in a season for a softball team is really good. If Brighton keeps up this pace it could hit 35 or 40. That seems unlikely, but we’ll see.

The game vs. Munford was tied 2-2 before Brighton (8-1 overall, 2-0 district) put up a nine spot in the third inning to take control of the game.

Cook was 3 for 4 with a double and four RBIs and Perkins was 3 for 4. Howard was 2 for 3 with an RBI and Kamryn Bridges had two hits. Katelyn Jones struck out six, walked none and allowed five hits over five innings to pick up the win.

Munford (4-3, 1-0) got two hits and an RBI from Shelby Kendrick to pace the offense. Chloe Lowry tripled and Claire Geiger and NataLee Faulkner each had a hit.

In other action:

• Howard homered twice and Cook went deep once to lead the Lady Cardinals to an 8-2 win at Ripley Tuesday in the district opener.

Brighton fell behind 2-0 through two innings after Peyton Vaughn homered for Ripley. Brighton answered with three runs in the fourth inning and four in the fifth to take control of the game.

Howard, who drove in five runs vs. Ripley, is among the state’s leaders with six home runs through nine games.

Timily David singled and doubled for Brighton and Katelyn Jones took care of the rest. She struck out one and allowed five hits over seven innings to earn the win.

• Brighton scored 12 times in the first inning on Monday and beat an overmatched Macon Road Baptist team, 16-0.

Howard had a pair of hits for Brighton and Adin Shelton drove in three runs with a single and double.

Howard was 3 for 3 with a home run on Saturday as Brighton beat Corinth 4-0. Cook, David, Shelton and Kamryn Bridges each added singles for Brighton.

Jones and Molly Oswalt each pitched three innings and held Corinth to just two hits.

• Howard had another homer Saturday in a 10-2 Brighton win over Southaven.

David doubled, singled and drove in two runs and Cook drove in two runs. Jones struck out four and allowed two hits over four innings.

Brighton had eight hits, including another homer from Howard, in a 7-0 win Friday against Olive Branch.

Presley Smith, Cook and Shelton each had two hits and David added a double.

Jones was dominant in the circle, striking out five and allowing just one hit over five innings.