Wild 4-4A finishes; 3-1 Wildcat Classic for FHS softball
CHATTANOOGA — A wild start to its District 4-4A season saw Farragut battle back from deficits at friendly James Bellamy Field, only to lose a rare home game to rival Bearden, 8-6, in eight innings Tuesday, March 19.
The Lady Admirals, (7-5 overall, 1-1 in district entering this week) then failed to hold leads of 5-0, 6-1 and 7-2 against Maryville at its John Sevier Elementary School home field Thursday, March 21, as the Lady Red Rebels scored three in the bottom of the seventh to tie the issue 7-7.
But enter a junior transfer, Ava Barnes, the third pitcher used in the game by FHS head coach Nick Green.
Barnes not only held Maryville in check on the mound, but also delivered a two-out, two strike, 2-RBI double deep to center field in the ninth inning, which turned out to be the winning runs in a 9-7 FHS victory.
“She came up big there,” Green said of Barnes. “We were definitely having kind of flashbacks of the Bearden game where we’re having a hard time scoring runs (late), getting base runners on there, but then not getting them in.”
Farragut’s first six runs all came home with round-trip blows, as senior Hailey Nichols blasted a first-inning three-run homer, followed by senior Rilee Kate Ragan’s’s two-run shot clearing the fence during the first Lady Ads at-bat.
Junior Elsa Morrison added a solo home run in the third.
Freshman catcher Rylee Raby throwing out a runner trying to advance to second on a wild pitch with one out in the eighth “was a big turn of events right there, because if she’s safe, that puts the winning run in scoring position with one out,” Green said.
Wildcat Classic
Green and his girls headed to Warner Park in Chattanooga to play — thanks to action set for Friday, March 22, being rained out — four time-limited game Saturday, March 23.
The Lady Admirals went 3-1.
“We found a way to win against Maryville, and then we played some really good softball down in Chattanooga,” Green said.
“Hopefully we can carry that over into this week,” Green said. FHS 5 Lawrence Co., Ala 0
Winning pitcher Hallie Grace Johnson, only a freshman, pitched five innings while allowing no runs, four hits and one walk with one strikeout.
Offensively, Morrison went 2-for-2 with two RBI, while Nichols was 2-of-3 with a double and one RBI.
FHS 7 Bradley Central 0
Barnes pitched all six innings, allowing just one hit and one walk in addition to the shutout, with two strikeouts.
Senior Addison Pressley went 3-for-3 at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing two bases. Junior Amelia Dorset was 2-for2 with one run scored, while Morrison homered and doubled, producing four RBI along with a run scored.
FHS 5 East Hamilton 0
Winning pitcher Emma MacTavish, the team’s senior staff ace, allowed no runs and just two hits and one walk with five strikeouts.
Offensively, Morrison homered and doubled, while Johnson added two hits and one RBI. Ragan went 2-for-2.
Cherokee Co., Ala. 5 FHS 1
The only Lady Ads loss came in the last game. Morrison’s solo homer was the lone FHS run, as the junior went 3-for-3.
Pressley added two hits.
