The Seymour Owls softball team collected 13 hits, including home runs by Kendrick Sterling and Abby Followell, to roll to a 14-3, five-inning win over Brownstown Central Monday afternoon.

Seymour assistant coach Emily Bobb said it was good to see her team come up with its highest run and hit totals of the season.

“Our bats definitely picked it up,” she said. “It was something we needed and we’re finally not only putting the ball in play, but we’re hitting it hard.”

After a scoreless first inning, Camryn Sterling led off the top of the second with a single, and Abby Followell walked and both scored on a double by Alexia Rieckers.

The Braves got one of those runs back in the bottom of the second when Erin Singleton singled over the shortstop and scored when Kyndle Huddleston was safe on a fielder’s choice.

The Owls knocked the ball all over the field in the next three innings, combining for 11 runs, 12 hits and received one walk off three Brave hurlers.

Sterling and Followell hit two-run homers in the third, Allison Reed and Kendrick Sterling had RBI in the fourth, and the Owls sent 11 batters to the plate in the fifth to score seven times.

Kendall Allman had a 2-run single, and Kaylee Waskom, and both Sterlings also drove in runs with hits in the fifth.

Bobb said, “We showed a lot of power, and we were able to utilize some short game to score some runs as well. We hit through the line-up. We had six girls with RBIs.”

Kynadee Warner, Waskom, both Sterlings, Followell and Rieckers had two hits apiece. Kendrick Sterling had a home run, double and four RBI.

“Today it was nice to see the whole line up clicking, coming together and hitting the ball hard,” Kendrick Sterling said. “We showed tonight that we have some power, and I think we’ve just got to keep showing it. Hitting is contagious and if we keep hitting like we did tonight we’ll be just fine.

“In the past few games our hitting has been kind of inconsistent so this really helped our confidence, and we’re just going to keep moving forward. We’ve got to keep attacking batters with first-pitch strikes. That is key with our pitchers, and the defense needs to back them up.”

Rieckers, a freshman right-hander, allowed the Braves seven hits while striking out two and walking none.

Bobb said, “The first time through the line-up she threw a first-pitch strike, which is huge. It worked out well for the Owls.”

The Braves scored twice in the third inning. Kelsey Schneider doubled and Emily Singleton singled. Brooke Meahl “squeezed” Schneider home with a bunt between the pitcher’s mound and first base.

Rylee May singled to drive in Singleton.

Emily Singleton and Zoe Stuckwisch each had two hits, while Schneider’s double was BC’s only extra base hit.

Braves coach Darren Bryant said he was surprised the Owls hit the ball as well as they did.

“I was surprised (with Seymour’s hitting) as well. Our pitchers had been really sharp the last few games. I don’t know if the nerves got to them or what it was,” he said. “We had some bad breaks early on some close plays (at first base in the first inning). The calls didn’t go our way. Then when they scored early on us I think we started pressing a little bit.

“I asked our catcher (Emily Singleton) if our pitchers were missing their spots and she said no, they were just hitting well. I’ll give credit to Seymour. They had some good hitters. Until this game the most runs we had given up was six.

“We had some offense. I thought we would do a little better than we did. We haven’t been a big-scoring team this season unless the pitching was really weak, and their pitching wasn’t weak. I expected us to score six or so.”

Both teams will play today with the Owls (5-4) hosting New Albany, and the Braves (7-2) will travel to Salem for a mid-Southern Conference game.