Rematch a huge turnaround for Lady Admirals
On March 19, District 4-4A softball rivals Farragut and Bearden played the first of their two regular-season games at FHS’s Bellamy Field.
The Lady Bulldogs came away with an 8-6 win in extra innings.
The rematch Friday, April 19 — also at Farragut because of field construction at BHS’s Kim Hazelwood Field, with the Lady Bulldogs designated as the home team — was a huge turnaround for the “visiting” Lady Admirals.
Senior pitcher Emma MacTavish threw a complete game, FHS batters hammered four home runs — two by Hailey Nichols — and the Lady Ads won going away, 12-4. Their overall record improved to 16-9 overall, 6-3 in district.
“We were switching up our offensive approach tonight,” FHS head coach Nick Green said. “Just trying to be a bit more offensive-minded about pitch selection and less thinking. More like, just, ‘lets hit.’”
Hit Farragut did, tallying 14 for the game. The first two — Addison Pressley’s leadoff infield single followed by Elsa Morrison’s 12th home run — gave FHS an instant 2-0 lead.
The Lady Bulldogs (8-6, 4-4) tied it in the bottom of the first when Jaycie Overtaon hit her own two-run homer.
Five runs by FHS in the third made it 7-2. Nichols’ first long-ball followed the first of Morrison’s four intentional walks.
Courtesy runner Taylor Albright stole second, then scored on Rilee Kate Ragan’s double.
Anna French’s double scored Ragan. Amelia Dorset’s single brought in French.
“They just keep coming at you,” BHS head coach Kenneth Boles said. “They’re a good team, they’re well-coached, they have great athletes and they just keep reloading.”
The Lady Bulldogs scored a pair of runs in the fourth, one unearned, to cut FHS’s lead to 8-4. But Laney Shrader’s solo shot in the sixth, and Nichols’s two-run blast in the seventh, put the game long out of reach.
MacTavish gave up three earned runs on six hits while going the distance. She walked four and struck out nine.
