LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — James Burns has been waiting for a game like this for a while.

The South Laurel Lady Cardinals banged out 15 hits en route to a 12-0 blanking of Corbin Tuesday.

“We finally hit,” Burns said. “It’s been coming. We’ve been on the verge. This is what I’ve expected from this team all year.”

Of the nine starters, seven recorded hits, led by Amber Hyde, Cassandra Johnson and Chelsea Wemes with three hits each. Hyde had a single, double and triple, while Wemes had three singles and drove in three runs. Johnson also had three singles and drove in a run.

On the mound, Hagan Burns threw a three-hit shutout with six strikeouts and only one walk.

The 12 runs were the most given up by a Corbin (14-10, 3-2) team this year, and this was the fifth time the Lady Redhounds have been shutout. Pitcher Hannah Hart was coming off a no-hitter against Clay County, but on this night, the Lady Cardinals teed off on her.

“Hannah had a really good game last night,” coach Chris Hart said. “She was not on her game tonight, and when you’re not at your best, South Laurel will take advantage of it and they did tonight.”

Indeed.

The Lady Cardinals (12-11, 2-1) touched Hart for seven runs in the second inning to put the game away early. South would add one in the third, then cap things off with four in the fourth to end the game with the 10-run Mercy Rule.

“We were a lot more focused tonight,” Burns said. “We were focused last night (a 2-0 loss in eight innings to North Laurel). That game was an inch here or an inch there.”

This game wasn’t. There were no seeing-eye hits. The Lady Cards hit Hart and hit her hard, spraying balls all over the outfield.

With two outs in the first, Hyde smashed a triple to center, and the throw to the third got away. Hyde took off for home, but she was tagged out by Bethany Hensley. That would be the only break the Lady Redhounds would get all game.

Johnson led the bottom of the second off with a single to left, and Hagan Burns followed with a single to right. Brittany Vandeventer came in as a courtesy runner for Burns and quickly stole second. Wemes smacked a single to center where the Corbin player misplayed it and Johnson and Vandeventer came home on the error. Wemes advanced to third on the play.

Megan Smith was then hit by a Hart pitch. After Hailey Burns fanned, Bailey Miller singled to left, where another error was committed, and two more runs score for a 4-0 lead.

With two outs, Destinee Fisher singled to drive in Miller. Hyde followed with a single of her own, putting runners on first and third and bringing Johnson to the plate for the second time. Fisher scored on a passed ball, then Johnson singled in Hyde for a 7-0 lead.

Corbin had one runner on base in each of the first three innings, but couldn’t push any of them across. Hart doubled with one out in the third and advanced to third on a ground out, but was left stranded there when Burns delivered a change-up that Hensley waited on, but lined right back at the pitcher.

Wemes singled to lead off the bottom of the third and scored on a single by Hailey Burns to make it 8-0. South then added four runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 12-0 advantage.

Hyde doubled with one out, and Johnson followed with a single. When Hagan Burns grounded out short to first, Hyde came home. A single by Wemes drove in Johnson to make it 10-0. Right fielder Laura Williams got her first chance to bat in the inning and made the most of it, driving in Wemes with a triple to right. She scored on a single by Hailey Burns for the final run of the game.

“We played pretty good tonight,” Burns said. “We just got to put it all together. Tonight we did that. We played a good all-around game.”

The Lady Cardinals played host to Whitley County Thursday night, and will travel to Southwestern tonight.

sports@sentinel-echo.com