Cloudland drops heartbreaker to North Greene, 4-3
Published 8:00 pm Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde Lady 'Lander's Kara Fields slides into second for a steal.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde Cloudland pitcher Kenzie Birchfield throws a strike against North Greene.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde Lady Highlanders Jasmine Birchfield going for another tag out at second on a Lady Huskies steal.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde Cloudlands #9 Jasmine Birchfield goes for a tag out at second on an attempted steal.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde Lady Highlanders catcher, Kaylen Fields, doesn't get the call she was looking for at home plate.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde Lady Highlanders catcher Kaylen Fields tells pitcher Kenzie Birchfield to keep her chin up.
BY AUSTIN ALEXANDER
STAR CORRESPONDENT
KINGSPORT— The second game in the District 1-A tournament on Monday was a showdown between the two-seed North Greene Lady Huskies and the Cloudland Lady Highlanders.
The game was an absolute thriller that came all the way down to the final batter, but ultimately the Lady Huskies prevailed 4-3.
North Greene got the game going with Abi Laws on the mound and she got off to a hot start allowing only a Jasmine Birchfield single before retiring the other three batters she faced.
For Cloudland, Kenzie Birchfield started for the Lady Landers on the mound. The game got off to a rough start for Birchfield as she bobbled a slow roller from Abi Painter and the batter was safe at first.
After a strikeout and a walk, a double from Laws would score the first run of the game for North Greene.
A fielder’s choice and an error meant an additional two runs for the Lady Huskies making the score 3-0 after the first inning.
The top of the second was much the same for the Lady Landers as other than a Taylor Hicks single Cloudland was treated to three groundball outs.
Kenzie Birchfield had a different second inning as she allowed only one hit, facing six batters and allowing no runs in a much better show of defense for Cloudland.
Cloudland got the bats going in the top of the third as Karah Fields got the ball rolling with a single into center. Heaven Caraway stepped up next and hit an RBI single into right.
Two batters later, Kaylen Fields would hit a deep fly ball double into center scoring Caraway and making the score 3-2.
The home half of the inning brought no results for North Greene as the Lady Huskies again struggled versus Birchfield.
The fourth inning saw both teams swinging the bat but having little results to show for it as the score remained 3-2.
The top of the fifth concluded just as quickly as it began as Laws sat down the side.
The game-changing moment came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Jada Antonelli stepped up for the Lady Huskies and smacked a home run over the left field fence making the score 4-2.
The Lady’ Landers would answer, though, as Hicks hit a groundball single into left scoring Kaylen Fields. Cloudland couldn’t get anything else going, however, and the inning ended with only the one run.
Kenzie Birchfield would retire the side in the bottom of the sixth frame completing a fantastic game.
With one last chance to get the bats going, the Lady Landers seemed up to the task.
After an error, a walk and a batter hit by a pitch, the bases were loaded for the Cloudland pitcher Birchfield. She would end up grounding out to second to finish the game 4-3.
The Lady Huskies played Unaka in the winner’s bracket Wednesday.
