Oxford, AL – Heath, Brookshire homer, Fiser pitches shutout as Smash It Sports Vipers get their first Women’s Professional Fastpitch victory since the move to Oxford
By Joe Medley
The Smash It Sports Vipers have survived a few storms just in their inaugural Women’s Pro Fastpitch season in Oxford. The weather delayed the games of two players.
Amber Fiser came plenty ready to face storm after storm on Saturday.
Fiser was able to keep runners out of scoring position in every inning, but in the seventh, she pitched an inning of shutout and home hits from Karly Heath as well as Suzy Brookshire assisted with the Vipers defeat their opponents the Texas Smoke 6-0 at Choccolocco Park to win their first game since they moved to Oxford prior to the season 2023.
The win came after an unbeaten start, which included four losses in the season’s opening road trip through Oklahoma City and Texas. Three of those losses were against Texas as well as the Smoke’s win 6-2 in the Vipers opening game at home on Friday.
All came together on Saturday.
“It is nice to see lots of smiles this morning,” Heath said. “A majority of people are struggling for a while. It’s nice to see them receiving hits. It’s great to see people happy.”
The Vipers beat their opponent Smoke 9-6. In addition to Heath’s solo homer in the fourth and Brookshire’s two-run blast in the fifth inning with five runs, Brooke Wilmes delivered a double that scored two runs. Raina O’Neal delivered a two-run double during the time that the Vipers went through the three Smoke pitchers during the 5th.
“This is a huge accomplishment,” Vipers’ coach Gerry Glasco said. “It’s an extremely young team. For them to get their first win is a great feeling. No victory is easy within this competition. The first game is always the most difficult.
“To witness them relax and feel the joy on their faces over the final two innings? We’ve waited for a long time.”
Heath’s homer to center field helped her bat average reach .444 for the year which is good for 2nd in WPF in comparison to her Smoke’s Shelbi Sunseri’s .455.
“I did some work on it in the day,” the woman said. “I hit lots of ground balls and I’m not a hitter of ground balls. I was like”I’m going to need an elusive pop fly or something.’
“That was the main aspect of the home run, simply being me. I’m still a rookie, and I’m experiencing a lot of emotion and adrenaline So I’m just trying to ensure that I’m in my own.”
Perhaps nothing was more important to a team that had never won than Fiser making sure the scoreboard was clear until Heath made her way through. She hit five batters, and was able to walk three.
A former All-American player from Minnesota’s University of Minnesota stranded nine base runners in the first 6 innings, before retiring the team in the seventh inning to end it off.
“I have just said to myself, I’m thinking that they’re never going to get a hit,” Fiser said. “Just improve your pitch just slightly better and then get the hitter out. Focus on each single pitch. This is all you need to do.”
The night following that the Vipers were able to sell 600 tickets to their opening game at home and sold 478 tickets, they scored the first time since they moved to Oxford. The crowd at the Vipers their second home game featured the youth all-star line-up from Lineville.
“Seeing all those travel-ball girls and their families, that’s why we’re here,” Fiser said. “They’re cheering for us from the stands and we’re here to improve the game. We want them to be happy at the prospect of attending some of our games is what we’re all about.”
Heath said the fans for the two first matches “insane.”
“”I am a huge fan of the in-game merchandise we offer,” she told reporters. “I love the fans and the support we get in this town.”
