Unaka holds off Lady Bucs 12-8, forces elimination game with Highlanders
Published 4:59 pm Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Devalynn Harter smacks a hard grounder to right to get her second base hit of the game.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The Lady Rangers infield gathers before the start of the third inning.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Kimberly Proffitt fires home the pitch for a strikeout. She would finish the game with nine Ks.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The third baseman hurries her throw on a slow grounder for the out.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Arianna Collins hits a shot down the third-base line as the second inning gets underway.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Lady Rangers shortstop Brooklyn Campbell squeezes the ball for the out as teammate Kacie Bare looks on.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The Lady Bucs' steal attempt comes up empty as the Rangers gun the runner down at second.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
The Lady Rangers were on cruise control heading into the top of the sixth, when the Lady Bucs nearly completed a two-out rally to take a late lead. But the Lady Rangers dug their cleats in, putting an end to the Lady Bucs’ season and moving one game away from the District 1-A championship. Awaiting them will be a familiar foe, as they will take on the Lady Highlanders Wednesday night with both teams’ seasons hanging in the balance.
The Lady Bucs got on the board first, as Emily Linkous hit a triple and then scored off a Lady Rangers error. Unaka wasted little time, retaking the lead 3-1 off base hits from Brooklyn Campbell, Katlyn Dugger and Kaci Bare.
Starting Lady Rangers pitcher Kimberly Proffitt ended a scoring threat in the bottom of the second, stranding runners at second and third after recording a strikeout. Neither team could do much in the third, but Unaka added a couple more runs as Dugger hit a double to the left-center gap, plating Ariana Collins and Keidance Story to make the score 5-1. Bare then hit a rope to center, scoring Gracie Hill and Campbell and pushing the Lady Rangers’ lead to 7-1.
UH got a run back in the top of the fifth, sparked by an Ellie Chandley triple, but Dugger answered that triple with one of her own, making the score 9-2 going into the sixth.
The Lady Bucs hit into a double play to clear the basepaths, but that deterred them little, as they went on to score six runs. The inning saw the Lady Bucs collect three base hits, two walks and benefit from three Rangers errors to close the Rangers’ lead to 9-8. They actually left the go-ahead runner in scoring position.
All of this seemed to bounce off the Lady Rangers, as they scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Mollie Buckles changed the tide of momentum by hitting a solo shot to deep center after fouling off three straight pitches. Bare then doubled to right-center, and Devalynn Harter singled off a hard grounder to third that couldn’t be controlled. Saylor Conner picked up an RBI off a slow roller to second, and A. Collins pressed the lead to 12-8 after hitting a ground ball that skipped to right field.
Proffitt gave up a single but then shut down the Lady Bucs for the win. Dugger finished the night with three base hits and five RBIs; Bare also had three base hits and three RBIs, and Harter chipped in two base hits as the Lady Rangers collected 14 hits in all. Proffitt threw 6 2/3 innings and gave up just two earned runs in the win.
