The Lady Bulldogs earned a big victory over Hickory High School Thursday on the road.

It is no secret that Hickory High School has one of the top-tier softball programs in South Hampton Roads. They have accomplished a lot over the last few seasons. Whenever a team can get a win over them, it is significant.

The King’s Fork High School softball team got one of their biggest wins of the season Thursday evening when they defeated Hickory 4-1.

In the first meeting, it was a close battle as well, with Hickory winning the game 3-1. Coach Richard Froemel and the Lady Bulldogs were undoubtedly excited they could get the job done the second time around.

“This win does a lot for what we have been saying to them,” Froemel said. “If you go out and play solid defense and execute and move your runners with good solid pitching good things will happen. We are aware this is just one game, and we just want to keep building on this.”

King’s Fork got on the board first in the fourth inning off an RBI by Amanda Leija. They were up 3-0 going into the sixth inning. Sophomore pitcher Cali Hinnant earned the pitching win by striking out 10 batters and allowing a single run. She also went 3-4 with an RBI and two runs. Senior Madison Froemel hit a two-run home run, which ultimately led to the Lady Bulldogs victory. Hinnant had a home run as well. Lauryn Maher also played a good game for the Lady Bulldogs in their win.

“I was nervous, but I really wanted to do really well against a team like them,” Hinnant said about her performance. “I just gave it my all, and it was such a good game for us.”

As a senior on the team, Madison Froemel wanted to make sure she went out with a win against them after coming close in the first contest.

“King’s Fork has always been an underdog ever since I been playing here,” she said. “It just felt great to get that win.”

Froemel joked that he just wanted to make sure his team kept doing what they had been doing the whole game. There was a point in the seventh inning where the team was going to huddle up, and Froemel suggested they not, because they had not done so all game. He wanted them to stick to what they had already been doing.

“You just want to make sure everything stays the same the last three outs that it did during the first 18,” Froemel said. “It was probably a little superstition boiling over.”

King’s Fork will play Grassfield High School on the road at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.