Lady Cyclones take two from John Battle
Published 3:11 pm Thursday, April 27, 2023
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Star Photo/Ron Marvel Lela Byrd firs the pitch home in the second inning action of the first game.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Kenidy Harris flashes her techniques as she pulls the ball back into the strike zone.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Sadie Williams recovers on a hard-hit ball at third in time to get the runner.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Emma O'Quinn checks up for ball four.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Emer Jensen squares up the ball for a double and a couple RBIs.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
The Lady Cyclones softball team very well may be peaking at just the right time as post-season looms. Elizabethton played a doubleheader Tuesday night against John Battle; when everything was settled they notched a couple more in the win column.
Game 1- Cyclones 3 Trojans 2
In an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel, Lily McDuffie held the Trojans to just five hits and one earned run in a complete game. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third when Hannah Morgan started the inning of with a pop-fly single that found grass, Lana Ward would follow that up with a near perfect bunt single and a hustling Morgan would move all the way to third. Ember Jensen would then rip a double to the gap in right to plate both Morgan and Ward making the score 2-0. John Battle would cut that lead in half as Parker Helton would hit a solo shot to left to make it 2-1.
The Lady Cyclones would pick up an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth as Maley Ingram would get a double to center and then score off the hot bat of Kenidy Harris to make it 3-1. John Battle would answer with a run off their own off an error to cut the lead to 3-2, and would put the tying run at second in the top of the seventh. The Lady Cyclones would get the Trojans to pop up in center and left field to end the game.
Game 2- Cyclones 7 Trojans 3
The Lady Cyclones would jump out early in the second game of the twin bill scoring two in the first and four in the third to go up 6-1. Sadie Williams would pick up two RBI’s blistering a double to right field to make it 2-0 after the first inning. John Battle would come back with a run in the top of the third to make it 2-1, but the Lady Cyclones would distance themselves in their half of their inning, going up 6-1. Mollie Johnson would start the inning off with a double to center; then the Cyclones would load the bases after back-to-back walks by Harris and Jensen. Johnson would smartly score off a fielder’s choice and then Lela Byrd would smack a three run shot to center to put the Lady Cyclones up to stay.
Ingram led the Cyclones with two hits in the game, while Byrd and Williams would have three RBIs apiece. Byrd was on her game off the rubber, throwing seven innings with just two earned runs and 14 strikeouts. Shortstop/Catcher Mollie Johnson and third baseman Sadie Williams made several nice plays at their perspectives spots throughout both contests.
After the game Lady Cyclones Head Coach acknowledged the strides his defense has made this year “Total team effort, both Lily (her third game of the week) and Byrd (coming back from an injury) pitched well and defensively we were solid, our hitting was very timely tonight. Just solid all the way around.” The Lady Cyclones will travel to Cherokee tonight for a 6:30 game.
