BLUFF CITY— A coach’s worst nightmare is that his team might have a tendency to lay down after fighting to a victory over their arch nemesis the night before.

Luckily, Elizabethton head coach Ken Hardin was breathing easy as his team continued their march through the Three Rivers Conference unblemished as the Lady Cyclones dealt a 10-3 loss to league foe Sullivan East Thursday evening.

“We played well, and East has a very good ball club,” said Hardin. “The last time we won a big game like that, we came out flat the next day, and we didn’t do that today, coming out and hitting the ball well and played pretty good defense.

“When you have the big lead, you play a little bit different,” added Hardin. “We told Lauren to stay around the plate. Just good things defensively today.”

Elizabethton jumped on the Lady Patriots quickly seizing a 2-0 lead after completing their portion of the first inning.

Macie Herrmann laced a one-out single to get things going and proceeded to steal second base. Lauren Brickey left no doubt taking a one-strike offering over the centerfield fence to stake her team to the early two-run lead.

Elizabethton tacked on a solo run in the top of the third as Lady Cyclone second baseman Kaylen Shell took advantage of an error on the Lady Patriots third baseman to reach first base safely.

Herrmann laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Shell to second base. Brickey also reached due to an East bobble allowing Shell to race home for the score making it a 3-0 advantage Elizabethton.

The Lady Cyclones made it a 5-0 game in the following frame.

Baylee Creasy slapped a line drive to right field with one out. Shell then singled to send Creasy to third base.

Shell took advantage of a no-throw as she scooted down to second base. A Herrmann single plated both runs to build the lead.

‘Betsy wasn’t finished as four more runs crossed the plate in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 9-0.

Maci West opened the inning with a single to center for the Lady Cyclones. Third baseman Hannah Edwards put a charge into a two-strike pitch placing runners at second and third.

Catcher Haley Fair reached on an error allowing West to race home and allowing Edwards to move to third base. Fair took second with no attempt on the defensive indifference.

Kira Dillard got into the act as the left fielder smacked a single allowing Edwards to score and Fair to advance a base. Dillard played heads-up softball moving to second on the throw from the outfield.

Creasy was pegged to load the bases. A fielder’s choice from Shell picked up Fair making it 8-0 in favor of the visitors.

Herrmann lofted a fly ball deep enough to center field allowing Dillard to cross the plate and giving Elizabethton a comfortable 9-0 cushion.

East did score a run in their half of the fifth and two in the sixth, but the day belonged to the Lady Cyclones who added one more to their side in the top of the sixth as Edwards ripped her second double of the contest with pinch runner Torrie Roberts taking over the baserunning chores for Edwards.

Roberts advanced to third after a Fair walk and an error on a ball hit by Dillard to the Lady Patriot first baseman.

Creasy brought Roberts home on an RBI-fielder’s choice to give the game it’s final 10-3 final.

The win extends the Lady Cyclones conference slate to 9-0 as the season quickly winds down to the district tournament.

The Lady Cyclones will play host to the annual Wayne Hodge State Farm Tournament over the weekend.