Lady Cyclones celebrate seniors with 6-0 shutout over East
Published 11:28 pm Monday, April 30, 2018
For four Elizabethton seniors, it was their last regular season home game.
And the Lady Cyclones celebrated the night in style as they rolled past Sullivan East, 6-0, in some Three Rivers Conference action.
The win over East comes a day after the Lady Cyclones drop a game to the Lady Patriots during the Tiny Day Softball Tournament in Greeneville Sunday.
“This bunch has done that all year long,” said Elizabethton head coach Ken Hardin. “We have had a bad game or two then we come back really focused. Taken nothing away from East. They played really well over there. This bunch is just determined and focused.”
With Monday’s victory, the Lady Cyclones are now 11-0 in the TRC.
“11-0 in the conference is just something that doesn’t happen much in the Three Rivers Conference,” said Hardin. “They just came focused today. We could tell in the cages that there were ready. We didn’t absolutely kill it today. But we made the most of our opportunities.”
In the circle, Lady Cyclones Lauren Brickey ran the show as she tossed seven innings for the win. Brickey finished the evening with four strikeouts against two walks. The senior pitcher would have only four runs on her.
At the plate, Elizabethton picked up seven hits as Lady Cyclones Maggie Johnson went 2-of-3 on the day. EHS’s Kaylen Shell, Brickey, Haley Fair, Kira Dillard, and Bailey Creasy all had a hit each. Fair would finish with two RBIs.
The first two innings went scoreless before the Lady Cyclones found the momentum to post four runs in the third frame. The first score came from Johnson as she came to the house on a walk. Fair followed up with a two-RBI single to net teammates Herrmann and Brickey. Dillard finished up the rally with an RBI single to center field.
The Lady Cyclones struck again in the fourth as Creasy scored on an error.
It was Creasy again in the sixth as she came to the plate on a fielder’s choice from Herrmann to bag the final run of the game.
The Lady Cyclones took a moment after Monday’s game to recognize their four seniors Lauren Brickey, Maci West, Macie Herrmann, and Kellie Cunningham.
“These seniors have just meant something special to me and everybody else around here,” said Hardin. “They have changed the face of this program. We are just so proud of them. They have all accomplished great things. And they have all came in from day one and contributed. It is just unreal to have a group do that.”
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After Monday’s game, the four Lady Cyclone seniors took a moment to talk about what being a part of the Elizabethton softball program has meant to them.
Kellie Cunningham
“It has been great the past few years,” said Cunningham. “It’s been great getting to know these girls. And it is going to be sad to see us going apart from each other. But it has been a great ride with them.”
Lauren Brickey
“It has been awesome,” said Brickey. “We have grown together. My freshman year, we literally hated each other. We have just grown and have really built this team. We couldn’t have done it without our coaches and other teammates. This is a great group that I am going to miss because I have played with them and against them for years.”
Macie Herrmann
“It has definitely been a family,” Herrmann said as she tried but failed to fight back tears. “I have never been more proud to be a part of a team. These girls are my family.”
Maci West
“It has meant a lot,” said West. “I love every one of these girls. It going to be sad to see it go.”
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The regular season might be coming to a close, but the Lady Cyclones have plenty of postseason left to play as they seek a repeat trip to the TSSAA Class AA State Softball Tournament in Murfreesboro.
“We are not finished,” said the four seniors in unison.