GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A pitcher’s duel between Clay High’s Morgan Crutcher and Keystone Heights’ Megan Moncrief kept the baselines empty for the first two innings of the clash of the two county teams and sterling defense by the Lady Blue Devils survived two baserunners by Keystone Heights in the third as Clay rolled to a 4-0 win Tues., March 7 at Clay High School.

Clay continued with the hot bats with a 14-0 clubbing at Pedro Menendez High on March 9 with three batters; Sydney Lewis, Charlotte DeNapoli, with a triple, and Morgan Crutcher all hitting for three runs batted in. Crutcher also pitched for the win with 10 strikeouts.

Keystone Heights falls to 5-3. Clay improves to 6-2.

Against Keystone Heights, after a series of strong grounder efforts for outs from Clay third baseman Hailey Stone and shortstop Marianne McDonald thwarted the Indians’ scoring attempt, coach Matt Lewis ordered some hits in the Blue Devils at bats to avoid a possible upset attempt by the visitors.

In the bottom of the third, the Clay bats woke up with McDonald singling to left field and Morgan Silvas doubling her to third base. A fielder’s choice to Jessica Powell scored McDonald, but fly balls to Kaitlyn Kumpf and Charlotte Denapoli ended the scoring.

Keystone Heights again tried to punch through with Molly Crawford smashing a single to centerfield and reaching third off a bunt from Kaitlyn Cline, but Crutcher was up to the task with groundouts to Bre Wells and a strikeout of Makayla Smith leaving Crawford on the island.

An error at second base put Allison Byrd on first first then on second before a bunt from Crutcher put the savvy baserunner at third. An error on a Hailey Stone hit scored Byrd for a 2-0 lead.

Crutcher walked Keystone Heights opening batter, Cami Worley, but Clay’s defense stopped the threat with a strikeout from Crutcher on Bailey Story and a hard grounder getting snagged by Clay first baseman Sydney Lewis.

Clay’s final scoring came in the fifth with Byrd doubling in Powell and Denapoli to end the game at 4-0.

Against Menendez, Clay opened with innings of four runs, three runs and one run with the Blue Devils tacking on three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.