With a second consecutive trip to Murfreesboro under their belts, Unaka was able to be calm and collected down the stretch.

The Lady Rangers (29-12) were led by a two-RBI effort from third baseman Madison Pierce and five strikeouts by Corie Schuettler en route to a 3-0 win over Gibson County Tuesday evening in the first round of the TSSAA Spring Fling Class A softball state tournament at McKnight Park.

Unaka will move into the winners’ bracket of the tournament and will play at 6:30 p.m. (EDT) at McKnight Park against the winner of Sale Creek and Houston County. The game was still being played prior to the Elizabethton Star’s press deadline.

Sarah Tipton got the Lady Rangers going early in the home half of the first with a leadoff double. Unaka continued the double trend during the next two batters with Pierce and Katlyn Weaver driving in back-to-back RBIs of two-baggers to give their squad an early 2-0 lead.

Pierce, who finished with three doubles in the contest, followed up her first-inning effort by driving in the Lady Rangers’ final run in the third.

“I was thinking ‘we really need it’ and over the past two days, we were practicing at different fields … and I was hitting as hard as I could,” Pierce (3-for-3, 2 RBIs) said. “I knew we really needed it so I went up there and did what I could.”

Unaka head coach Kenneth Chambers was quick to commend the effort of Pierce.

“She killed it tonight,” Chambers said. “I thought we hit the ball pretty good tonight, but we needed to hit it more consistently. I’m very proud of our girls tonight. They played hard and didn’t get down the entire game.”

Gibson County (24-10) was unable to touch the scoreboard with the Lady Rangers out-hitting the team, 8-7. With the hits coming in, the defense paid dividends the entire night, Chambers said.

“We’ve really been able to play some tough defense the entire year,” he added. “(Gibson County) had some hard-hit balls against us but our girls responded.

It was a team effort, according to Pierce, adding that the team never lost their focus in the game.”

“Tonight, we kept fighting,” she said. “We were really on it tonight. I’m proud of the entire team.”

Tayla Potter, Savannah Tipton and Sydney Markland added a hit each during the game.

Stay up to date with the Elizabethton Star for updates from Murfreesboro.