No matter the expectations, sports — especially at the high school level — are supposed to be fun. 

And that is what Halls High School softball coach Bryan Gordon is seeing more of out of his team recently.

The Lady Red Devils had a fun night on April 8, defeating Powell 5-0 at Powell behind a no-hitter from pitcher Atiana Stamper.

With Stamper and fellow senior Emery Bales, Halls has a pitching duo that may be unrivaled in this area.

So, with it being their final season, and with last season ending with a third-place finish in the 4A state tournament, it’s understandable why this season may feel a little weighty.

But Gordon said that’s no way to play, and that he and his team are working to play loose.

“I think there’s been a little extra pressure for them (Stamper and Bales), too, that we’re finally getting over that,” Gordon said.

“I think they’ve been playing with a little pressure on them, so we’re trying to get them to just loosen up and be them. I think the whole group felt pressure, from me down, all year. So we’re trying to loosen it up and have a little fun.”

With an array of cheers from the dugout on Tuesday, it certainly seemed like the Lady Red Devils were having a good time.

Sophomore Harper Bales, the younger sister of Emery, started the game with a single to shallow left center. She scored on a groundout by Mackenzie Baker.

The Lady Red Devils (19-4-1, 8-0 District 3-4A) added three more runs in the second inning as Powell struggled in the field. Fielding errors on three straight at-bats allowed Molly Overton and Brianna Smith to score.

Harper Bales added an RBI groundout that brought home Brielle Johnson.

The younger Bales leads the Lady Red Devils with a .397 batting average, 31 hits, 25 runs and is tied for the team lead with 19 RBI.

“She’s been a catalyst for us the last month,” Gordon said.

“She’s hit it well all year, and then finally the last two or three weeks we’re really starting to see the results. She does it the right way every day. Couldn’t be more proud of her.”

Catcher Landry Bernard tacked on an RBI groundout for Halls in the fifth inning.

With such a strong pitching combination, Gordon is just seeking consistency out of his offense.

A lot of the time it has been there. Getting 19 RBI and eight doubles from freshman Adrie Johnston has been a big lift.

When it hasn’t been there, though, Gordon went back to shaking off the nerves.

“We’ve done a pretty good job most days manufacturing them (runs). We’ve been streaky, to be honest. We’ll score nine and then we’ll score one. But it’s not from lack of effort, I think that’s pressure, too, so we’re trying to make it fun again.”

Stamper was her usual dominant self on Tuesday with 11 strikeouts. The 2024 All-State and All-5Star Preps selection is averaging more than 14 strikeouts per game and has a 0.43 ERA.

The Carson-Newman signee walked four batters, but none after the third inning. Stamper retired the side in order in innings five through seven.

Back-to-back walks drawn by Lizzi Lowe and Langston Coggins for Powell (8-6, 4-4) in the third brought Gordon out to the mound, and Stamper (9-2) responded with a strikeout to end the inning.

“Sometimes when she’s not getting what she thinks she should be getting she’ll get a little frustrated. Just trying to keep her positive, telling her she’s good enough and to just go in there and do what she does,” Gordon said about the visit.

The added pressure on the star pitchers hasn’t shown on the stat column. Emery Bales, also All-State and All-5Star Preps last season, is 10-2 this season with a 1.03 ERA.

The Chattanooga signee shut out Powell in the first meeting this season between the teams and struck out 13.

“They’re ultra focused,” Gordon said about Bales and Stamper.

“They work hard every day, they come in and do their thing. It’s not a whole lot of coaching to them. They know what we expect and they just try to come in every day and do what we ask them to do.”

Article written by Matthew Lutey/5Star Preps To read more on area high school sports or to see photo galleries, videos, stat leaders, etc… visit 5StarPreps.com — and use promo code New2024 for 30% off your first year or month subscription.