A win over one of its rivals was the perfect way for the Huntington softball team to open the season on Thursday. The Lady Hounds scored eight runs in the top of the fifth to secure the 19-6 season-opening win over Trinity at the Natchez Girl’s Softball Complex.

&uot;We played well on defense for the first game of the year,&uot; Huntington head coach Linus Wilkinson said. &uot;We did get off to a slow start on offense, and we didn’t hit the ball as hard as I would like, but I liked the way we kept putting the ball in play.&uot;

Wilkinson, who was playing without two starters, must be a hard coach to please as his team’s slow start on offense included six runs in the top of the first. Jaclyn Randall had the big hit in the opening frame as she drove in three runs with a home run.

Trinity cut the lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the first, but the Lady Hounds bounced back with three more in the top of the second for a commanding 9-1 lead. The Lady Saints refused to fold and cut the lead to 9-3 in the bottom of the second as Jessica Vines and Marlana Godfrey scored. However the Huntington offense proved to be too much as the Lady Hounds continued to pull away before the game was called after five innings. Up next for Huntington is a tournament in Liberty on Saturday.