The Trinity Episcopal Lady Saints began their 2015 softball district campaign with a tough loss Monday to Clinton Christian, 11-0.

Trinity head coach Miranda Smith said it was far from what she wanted or expected from her team to open district play.

“That was not a good game and not how you want to start district off,” Smith said. “I told them before the game, the game doesn’t start when the umpire says play ball, it starts when you walk up here to the field. It is your mindset, attitude and getting to work. It isn’t a social call. You come up here to work, and that was the difference today.”

Smith said her team was far from ready to play compared to their opponent.

“The other team came in and got straight to work,” she said. “They came to play ball. I don’t feel like we did. We lacked a lot of focus and didn’t come to play today.”

Trinity was limited to just two baserunners the whole game, but Smith said the opposing pitcher wasn’t doing anything special to prevent the Lady Saints from hitting the ball.

“As a pitcher, I try and watch the other pitchers,” she said. “I didn’t see any movement, just a hard and consistent strike, something we definitely should have been able to hit.”

Clinton Christian came out the gates hitting the ball, as they put up three runs in the top of the first and then exploded for an eight-run third inning to put the game out of reach.

“When you get behind like that and they have big innings where all the momentum shifts to them, it is hard, but you have to try to get the momentum back on your side,” Smith said.

The Lady Saints were able to take a few positives from the game, one being the relief performance on the mound from senior Tali Beard.

“Tali did great,” Smith said. “When you can go out there and get those three outs and nobody scores, that is a game changer. It makes a difference. She came in, stepped up and did her job. She is one of my seniors and I expect that from Tali.”

Smith said the message to her team now is simple.

“If they are going to be here, we need to come out ready to play and take it serious from the start,” she said.