Lady Hawks cruise 15-5
KNOXVILLE — Heading into its District 4-AAA game with rival Bearden late last week, Hardin Valley Academy was struggling offensively.
But the Lady Hawks snapped their brief slump, routing the Lady Bulldogs 15-5 Thursday, April 15, at BHS’s Kim Hazelwood Field. “We hit the ball well today. We had been struggling with that a little bit lately,” HVA head coach Whitney Hickam-Cruze said.
Hardin Valley improved to 18-7 overall, 7-2 in the district starting the week after beating the Lady Bulldogs (7-8, 4-6).
The Lady Hawks engineered a 10-run third inning to open a 12-2 lead. Denver Hogrefe, who went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs, clubbed a three-run homer. Savanna Beard, who also tripled, joined Bella Leto and Olivia Neely with RBI singles in the inning. Brooke Taylor, who went 3-of-4 at the plate, added an RBI double.
Though Bearden reliever Rylee Sieber stuck out the side in the top of the fourth, HVA scored three in the fifth with a two-run double by Gracie Gray and a RBI double by Beard.
Hogrefe pitched five innings, giving up five runs (only one earned), five hits and one walk while striking out seven. “She’s been a leader for us all season,” Hickam-Cruze said.
The Lady Dawgs got a two-run double from Nicole Couvetiere, who also had a sac fly, in the fifth. Bradynn Belcher had an early RBI single.
“We did some good things, but we just couldn’t string them together,” BHS head coach Angelica McClerkin said.
