The Davie softball team’s higher-seeded opponent was barely a penny on the tracks for the Davie locomotive. The War Eagles didn’t just win at Hough in the first round of the 4-A playoffs on May 10. They terminated the Huskies. They annihilated them 12-0 in five innings.

Davie, seeded 20th in the 32-team West Region after finishing third in the Central Piedmont Conference, improved to 16-9. No. 13 Hough, which went 9-3 to tie for second in the Mecka Conference, closed shop at 15-9.

“It was one of, if not the best game, we’ve played all season – this one and Alexander Central,” coach Dawn Lowery said. “We were pretty solid all the way around. With us playing North Davidson and West Forsyth twice (each), Forbush, Richmond County and Alexander Central, that prepared us for the state playoffs.”

Davie had 17 hits to Hough’s one. It grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second, ignited by Makenzie Smith’s double.

“That was ridiculous,” Lowery said of the double. “It was roped in the gap to left-center. That sparked us. It was crushed.”

After Jessie Beck put down a sac bunt, Smith scored on a wild pitch.

“We try not to focus on the seedings and just focus on playing our ball and doing what we’re supposed to do to get the win,” Lowery said. “The girls jumped on them quick and it was pretty smooth sailing from there.”

Davie took complete control with a six-run third. McKenzie Barneycastle singled and Sierra Ferguson produced a two-out RBI double. Then the floodgates opened as Smith, Beck, Katelyn Webb, K’lea Parks and Hannah Woody had singles.

“Hits are contagious,” she said. “Everybody that batted had a hit. I don’t know if I’ve ever had that happen as a coach.”

The highlight of a four-run fifth was a pinch-hit, two-strike, two-run homer by the No. 9 batter in the order. Oh, and the girl is a freshman. Her name is Desiree Lewis.

“She’s got more potential than some people can even dream of,” Lowery said. “Desiree has been due and I was happy for her. The relief pitcher had shown us that she could throw a changeup. I told her: ‘You’re about to get a changeup right here.’”

Lewis made Lowery look wise, destroying it for her first high-school homer.

“She got a changeup, she sat on it and hit it to left field,” Lowery said. With a laugh, she added: “I love it when that happens, because it makes you feel like you know what you’re talking about.”

Woody and Lewis have been splitting time. Those two and Parks rotate between shortstop and third base.

“Desiree has a lot of power; Woody is a base hitter,” she said. “Woody can hit for power for sure. Desiree is a huge threat on the bases. Both can play great defense.”

Parks went 3 for 3 to lead the way offensively. Davie got two hits from Barneycastle (2-4), Bridgett Tierney (2-3), Anna Devereaux (2-4, double), Smith (2-4, double)  and Webb (2-3). Ferguson (1-3, two RBIs, double), Beck (1-2), Woody (1-2) and Lewis (1-1) had one each.

Lowery said Devereaux’s double was “absolutely smoked.” But the offense was not the whole story. Olivia Boger worked a one-hitter in 53 pitches.

“She pitched a great game,” Lowery said. “She had command of all her pitches. She was lights out. I mean we couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Hough’s only hit was a slap between third and short. “I thought she was out (at first), but they called her safe,” she said.