FHS softball looking for top region spot; HVA stayed alive
After crushing Knoxville Catholic before squeaking past Heritage in the first two rounds of the District 4-AAA Tournament, top-seeded Farragut softball looked to secure a Region 2-AAA spot by beating No. 3 seed and rival Maryville in the winners’ bracket final Tuesday evening, May 7 (after deadline), at William Blount High School in Maryville.
If the Lady Admirals won Tuesday, they advanced to the tournament title round Wednesday, May 8, to await the survivor between the MHS Lady Rebels, No. 2 seed Hardin Valley Academy — which lost in the second round to Maryille — or No. 5 seed Heritage.
Avoiding a season-ending loss by defeating host and No. 4 William Blount 4-1 Monday, May 6, the Lady Hawks and Lady Mountaineers played an elimination game Tuesday (also after deadline).
The loser’s season would be over, while the winner played the Lady Admirals-Maryville loser Wednesday evening.
Heritage eliminated No. 7 Bearden Monday at WBHS.
If the last undefeated tourney team — either FHS or Maryville — lost in its first bid to win the tourney title late Wednesday evening, a deciding game would be played beginning at 6 p.m., tonight, Thursday, May 9, at WBHS.
Farragut (31-7) was top seed as a result of being regular season district champs.
The top two district tournament teams advance to the Region 2-AAA semifinal rounds Monday, May 13, where each team has to win or its season comes to an end.
The region championship game is next Wednesday, May 15. If the 4-AAA tourney champ is Farragut, and the Lady Admirals won their Monday region semifinal, they would host the region title game Wednesday at Bellamy Field.
Farragut 3 Heritage 1
After breezing past No. 8 seed Catholic 21-2 in the opening round, things became much tougher in round two last Friday, May 3, at Bellamy Field.
Overcoming an early 1-0 deficit, the Lady Admirals edged the HHS Lady Mountaineers 3-1.
“We’re playing very well,” Farragut head coach Nick Green said. “We’ve had some pretty good performances. ... We’ve had quite a few kids drive in some runs.”
Winning pitcher and staff ace Lakyn Moore, a senior who improved her season record to 17-4, went 6 1/3 innings. She allowed just three hits and one run with eight strikeouts and two walks.
Freshmen reliever Avery Flatford recorded a strikeout and pop-out to get FHS out of a seventh-inning threat.
Farragut tied the game when senior Joely Gruhn scored after being hit-by-pitch, coming home on an infield hit from freshman Lauren Brakovec.
Avery “Ace” Strickland, yet another valuable Lady Admirals freshman (center fielder), singled and eventually scored — working her way out of a rundown between third base and home plate.
Brakovec had another RBI single to plate the final FHS run.
