Lady Cyclones blanked by Crockett behind Dulaney
Published 11:51 am Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Larry N. Souders / Star Correspondent Lady Cyclone shortstop Sadie Williams (25) climbs the ladder for a high throw from catcher Mikina Blackwell. Williams came down with the throw but was too late to apply the tag on Crockett courtesy runner Molly Davis (20) in the top of the third inning.
Larry N. Souders / Star Correspondent Lady Cyclone starting pitcher Laci Gobble (2) winds up for a warm-up pitch prior to the start of the top of the fourth inning.
Larry N. Souders / Star Correspondent David Crockett southpaw starting pitcher Alli Orren (25) has a unique hop-skip delivery to the plate that threw the Lady Cyclone hitters off balance. Orren carried a perfect game into the bottom of the fourth inning.
Larry N. Souders / Star Correspondent Confusion in the outfield led to a collision when right fielder Piper Bennett (16) ran into shortstop Sadie Williams (25) as she was about to make a catch on the blooper off the bat of Crockett’s Eva Marler (16). The ball was jarred out of Williams’ glove and fell to the ground. Marler reached first on the error in the top of the fourth inning.
Larry N. Souders / Star Correspondent Crockett’s courtesy runner Natalie Dunbar (4) is tagged out after she ran through a stop sign by her third base coach by Lady Cyclone shortstop Sadie Williams (25), who was covering third on the play, in the top of the fourth inning.
Larry N. Souders / Star Correspondent Katie Gryder (18) turns on a fastball, slapping it down the third-base line into right field for the Lady Cyclones’ first hit of the game.
Larry N. Souders / Star Correspondent The Lady Cyclone Adrian Heading (00) slices a blooper down the first base line for a single into left field in the bottom of the fourth inning Monday evening at Elizabethton.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Lady Cyclone Brook Sparks (9) hard line drive to right ends the bottom of the fourth when Crockett right fielder Lily Mango (10) makes a great sliding catch to end the inning Monday evening at Elizabethton.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Star Correspondent
Lefty Madeline Dulaney pitched a gem for David Crockett on Monday at Elizabethton High School’s softball field, allowing just four hits, striking out 12 and shutting out the Lady Cyclones 8-0 in nonconference action.
“She is one of the better pitchers in East Tennessee,” Lady Cyclones head coach Kenneth Hardin said. “But we played about as poorly as we could have. We made a lot of mistakes, and they capitalized on them. But she throws it very well and keeps you off balance. She can throw it where she wants every time.”
Crockett got a run in the top of the first on a throwing error when Brylee Tullock struck a one-out single and stole second base. On the throw, the ball sailed into center field and Tullock was able to make it safely home for a 1-0 Lady Pioneer advantage.
Dulaney retired every Cyclone hitter through three innings before Katie Gryder singled with one out in the EHS fourth inning. Adrian Heading singled with two outs, putting runners on first and second, and Piper Kate Bennett’s infield single loaded the bases.
Brook Sparks then sent a sinking line drive to left field where Lily Mango made a diving catch for the final out of the inning, halting the Cyclone comeback effort.
In the top of the fourth, the Cyclones (19-5 overall) failed to make the play on a pair of wind-blown pop-ups. Bailey Dugger popped one up to shallow left field where Cyclones shortstop Sadie Williams attempted an over-the-shoulder, behind-the-back catch but couldn’t make the play, putting Crockett runners on first and third.
Eva Marler then hit another pop fly to shallow left where Bennett and Williams collided attempting to make the catch, but no out was recorded as Julie Maupin — who opened the stanza with a walk — was able to score for a 2-0 Pioneer lead.
The Pioneers took command of the contest in the top of the fifth with the help of a missed call by the umpire crew. Dulaney struck a one-out double to left field and stole third. Dulaney scored on an infield error on a ground ball by Tullock. Maupin then struck a sharp ground ball down the third-base line that was clearly a foul ball, but neither umpire made the call and another run scored, and Dugger followed with an RBI single that made it 5-0 in favor of Crockett.
“There’s not much difference between 8-0 and 1-0,” Hardin said. “When you don’t score, you can’t win. Sometimes you learn from a loss, and it makes you better.”
Crockett added a run in the sixth on an RBI single from Dulaney, who finished 2-for-4 with a double, one run batted in and a run scored in addition to her stellar pitching performance. The Pioneers added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, with pinch hitter Molly Davis driving in one run and Mango driving in the final run of the game with her only hit.
David Crockett 8, Elizabethton 0
David Crockett 100 131 2 — 8 10 0
Elizabethton 000 000 0 — 0 4 3
W — Dulaney. L — Gobble.
