WCMS Warriorettes come from behind to beat DeKalb

The White County Middle School softball team had to overcome a 9-4 deficit in the fourth inning to beat a very good team from DeKalb County. The Warriorettes did just that, however, and their 10-9 win, on April 15, improved their overall record to 13-2 with a 10-1 district record.

DeKalb County jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but the Warriorettes responded right back. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Annie Burrier drew a walk, and Addison Norvell followed with a base hit. Addison Finley then scorched a base hit that drove in two runs to make the score to 3-2.

DeKalb went scoreless in the second, and White County looked like they were going to take control in their second turn at the plate. Again, with two outs, they rallied. Abbi Hutson reached on a walk and then stole second base. A.K. Wallace ripped an RBI single that scored Hutson and tied the game. Burrier followed with an RBI triple, and the Warriorettes had a 4-3 lead.

But this time it was DeKalb County who responded quickly.  DeKalb got hot and scored three runs in the third and followed that up with three more runs in the fourth to go ahead 9-4.

White County, who had been silent in the bottom of the third inning, got three of those runs back in the fourth inning. Jordan Wright and Treeah Powell both got on base to get the inning started, and Hutson drew her third walk of the game. Burrier followed with an RBI single to make it 9-5. Norvell drew another walk and Finley roped a double in the gap to bring the Warriorettes within two runs, 9-7.

After DeKalb put up a scoreless inning in their half of the fifth, Jordan Wright again reached first base by taking a pitch off the leg. Hutson followed with a base hit, and Wallace reached after she, too, was hit by a pitch. With bases loaded, Burrier drew another walk, forcing a run home and bringing the Warriorettes within one. Hutson then scored on a wild pitch to tie the score at nine each. With two strikes and runners on second and third, Norvell got the game winning hit for the 10-9 win. 

Burrier went the distance in the circle and notched her ninth win with eight more strikeouts and one intentional walk. DeKalb did manage double-digit hits, but the Warriorette defense once again played flawless with Hutson and Powell making some key plays defensively.

“I thought our girls did a good job of keeping their composure. We haven’t seen a team hit the ball that hard and score that many runs, but no one panicked,” head coach Gregg Segraves said. “Our girls stayed focused and finished strong with a complete game.”

Before the game, the softball team honored 8th grade students, regardless of whether they play softball or not, who had maintained an A average all year with their “Straight A’s & Homeruns, A Winning Combination” event sponsored by First National Bank of Tennessee. FNBOTN bought each student a T-shirt, and they were recognized on the field before the first pitch.