Warriorette softball team splits final two season games

Team prepares for district play

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The White County High School softball team finished regular season play by splitting the final two games, winning their last home game of the season, while dropping a heartbreaker in a game in Sequatchie County.

On April 26, the Warriorettes hosted the softball team from Upperman in their final home game of the season. In the first two frames, behind strong pitching from both sides, neither team had been able to put any runs on the board, but Upperman changed that with a couple of doubles by Cobb and Hurst that got the visiting team on the board.

Upperman clung to the 1-0 lead for two innings, but, in the bottom of the fifth, White County mounted a small rally of their own.

Abby Guy singled to right field to get the inning started and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lordis Northern. Ryleigh Burchett reached first when the center fielder mishandled her line drive. Caydra Parker followed up with a hard-hit ground ball to center field that scored Guy and moved Burchett to third. Taylor Roberts hit a long fly ball to center that scored Burchett and left runners on first and second for Ashlynn Phillips. Phillips hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Parker. After Finan struck out, the Warriorettes took to the field with a 3 to 1 lead that would prove enough to secure the win.

Addison Abell was the winning pitcher for White County, pitching all seven innings giving up one run on six hits while striking out six batters.

The next evening, the Warriorettes traveled to Sequatchie County where they finished their regular season play. Unfortunately, the results were not the same as Monday, with the Warriorettes coming up one run short in a game that had as much offense as the previous night had had defense.

Caydra Parker got the offensive game started in the first inning, with a single to right that was mishandled leading to her getting an extra base out of the play. When Phillips singled on a line drive to center, Parker used her speed to score from second base, giving White County the early lead.

In the bottom of the second inning, Sequatchie County got their offense rolling, scoring two runs to take the lead.

Caydra Parker answered Sequatchie with a home run in the top of the third that tied the game at two, but then the home team put up two more runs in their half of the same inning, making the score White County 2, Sequatchie County 4.

The back-and-forth battle between the two offenses continued in the fourth inning, with Phillips doubling and then scoring when Abigayle Finan hit a single to give the Warriorettes another run. But, as before, Sequatchie answered an inning later with a run of their own, and, at the end of five innings, the score was White County 3, Sequatchie County 5.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Warriorettes’ offense took control and grabbed the lead back, scoring five runs in the inning. The offensive onslaught began when Phillips singled to center and was replaced by courtesy runner Cassie Williams. Finan then reached base on error by the Sequatchie County second baseman. The error allowed Williams to advance to third base, while Finan ended up at second by the time the ball was back in the pitcher’s circle.  After Madisyn Houghton struck out, Abby Guy singled on a ground ball to right scoring Williams and Finan both to tie the game. Hannah Kate Sims grounded out to first, but the ball in play moved Guy to second. After Sara Parker walked, Savannah Jones singled on the ground to center loading the bases. Caydra Parker hit 1 –0 pitch for a long fly ball that left the field as a grand slam, scoring four more runs and giving White County a 9-5 lead.

As had been the case all evening, Sequatchie County answered the Warriorettes with an offensive explosion of their own, scoring five runs to take the lead back.

With two outs in the seventh inning, Sims tried to get something started for the Warriorettes when she singled. Hoping to ignite another offensive run like the previous inning, Coach Jerry Roberts replaced Sims at first with pinch runner Lordis Northern, but Northern was stranded on the base paths when a pop up ended the inning and the Warriorettes’ season.

Ashlynn Phillips took the loss for White County, pitching a complete game, giving up 10 runs, however, only five of them were earned with the other five coming due to defensive errors by the Warriorettes. Phillips’ threw 125 pitches, 78 of them for strikes, surrendering nine hits and walking, walked four while striking out three batters.

Phillips helped herself out, leading the way going 4 for 4 at the plate. Phillips, Parker, Savannah Jones, and Sims all had multiple hits. Finan and Guy added one run each as the Warriorettes tallied 13 total hits in the game.

The Warriorettes ended the season 18-8 and will enter district play in Rhea County as the 6AAA co-champions.   

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