Rangers are district champions, again
Published 12:44 am Friday, May 13, 2022
Star Photo/C.Y. Peters A Lady Ranger gets a hand on the bag before the tag is made by the North Greene infielder.
Star Photo/C.Y. Peters The 2022 District 1-A Champions - the Unaka Lady Rangers.
Star Photo/C.Y. Peters The 2022 District 1-A All-Tourney team.
Star Photo/C.Y. Peters A North Greene base runner is out by a step at first base.
Star Photo/C.Y. Peters The North Greene first baseman can't hold onto the ball as the Lady Ranger base runner is safe at first base.
Star Photo/C.Y. Peters This Lady Ranger outfielder waits for the ball to come into her glove for an out.
Star Photo/C.Y. Peters A Lady Ranger base runner stretches out to reach first base safely before the throw can be made.
Star Photo/C.Y. Peters A Unaka batter gets the bat on the ball during the district championship game at Happy Valley.
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Same ol’ song and dance – for the fifth year out of the last six Coach
Kenneth Chambers has taken the district title to Stoney Creek.
His Unaka Lady Rangers shut out North Greene 9-0 to win the crown.
Sports fans live their entire lives remembering when their favorite
ballplayer hit a home run and tonight Rangers fans will remember Alana
Parsons crushing blow in the bottom of the sixth that flew over the
scoreboard in left field.
The girls rushed out of the dugout and lined up down the third baseline
for high fives as Parson trotted around the bases looking like one of the
proudest girls of the night.
Unaka dodged a score in the first when lead-off batter Zoe Sanders
hit a triple to start the game.
When it looked like the Lady Huskies would get an early lead, shortstop
and league MVP Parsons made a great catch and the shortstop fired the
ball to the third baseman Haley Gillman for the double play and the threat
of a score was gone.
It was Unaka’s turn at-bat as Lyndie Ramsey was hit by a pitch then Sadie
Shoun singled and the Rangers had two on with no outs as it looked like
the Lady Rangers would get the early lead.
That didn’t work out either as the North Greene defense held the Rangers
at bay and at the end of one it was 0-0.
The Lady Huskies would not get another base runner until the fourth inning
when center fielder Haley Bailey ripped a hit up the middle, but still, no runs
for North Greene.
In the second inning for the Lady Rangers, Kendall Bare crushed one for
a single, and Kylie Blevins followed her with a base hit.
The next three batters – Jill Faust, Gilliam, and Mattie Salyer all would
take walks and the Rangers begin putting numbers on the scoreboard
adding a total of five runs in the second with Parsons adding a hit as well.
Unaka would add to their lead in the fifth as Blevins reached base via an
error. Gilliam followed suit then Salyer drilled a base hit to score more runs.
Lead-off batter Ramsey then cleared the bases with a triple and just like that
Unaka led 8-0.
Parson would add one more on the home run in the bottom of the sixth.
The Lady Huskies tried to rally in the top of the sixth as Antonelli Kessia
singled followed by Gaby Campbell with a hit, and Bailey would
reach base on an error.
But Sadie Shoun’s pitching had kept the Lady Huskies scoreless and she
wasn’t about to give up any runs this late in the game.
The three players were left stranded and Unaka went on to win the game
and the district championship 9-0.
Unaka outhit North Greene 7 to 4 as Parsons led the Rangers batting 2 for 4
and Blevins, Gilliam, and Salyer all scored two runs for Unaka.
Sadie Shoun won the tournament MVP, and Alana Parsons was the league MVP.
Girls selected on the all-tournament team were Gilliam, Bare, Trinity Bowers,
and Parsons. For North Greene, Campbell, Anna Weems, and Kylie Blevins made
the team. Cloudland’s Karah Fields and Ryan Turbyfill made the team, along with
Madison Setlock and Rachel Fair from Hampton.
Katherine Joiner was selected from University High.
