Lady Dragons win three in a row
Clinton’s Skylar Newby pitches to a Knox West batter on Friday during the Oak Ridge Invitational.
The Lady Dragons scored three in the first to claim the early lead. Oak Ridge picked up a run in the first and three in the second to take a 4-3 lead. Clinton responded with a run in the top of the third, courtesy of a solo home run by freshman Skylar Newby to tie the game but the Lady Wildcats plated four in the bottom of the inning to go up 8-4.
The Lady Dragons scored one in the fourth and two in the fifth to cut the Oak Ridge lead to 8-7. The Lady Wildcats scored four to push their lead to 12-7.
Clinton would not be denied as they pushed six runs across in the sixth — including another Newby home run — to lead 13-12. Oak Ridge scored a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game once again.
The Lady Dragons finished strong as they scored four in the seventh — with Newby’s third homer of the game — to lead 17-13. The Lady Wildcats added two runs in the bottom of the inning but it was not enough as Clinton held on for the district win.
Newby went 3-5 with three home runs and five RBI while Karleigh York was 3-5 with two doubles and three RBI.
Freshman Sophie Seivers was 4-5 with an RBI and Lexie Jacobik was 3-5.
Nikki Jones was 1-4 with a triple and two RBI and Lexie Cochran was 1-5 with an RBI.
Kara Bradley turned in another strong start as she went six innings for the win. She allowed five earned runs on 15 hits with four strikeouts.
Newby got the save in one inning of relief.
The Lady Dragons committed 10 errors behind her.
“Kara [Bradley] is pitching well. She’s been very solid. Errors are killing us,” said Lecia Watson, head coach of the Lady Dragons.
“We had 14 hits and 14 earned runs. We really hit the ball well,” she said.
On Friday, Clinton bested Knoxville West by a score of 4-0 in the Oak Ridge invitational.
After a scoreless top half of the inning, Cochran led off with a double for the Lady Dragons. Newby walked and Jacobik singled to plate Cochran. Seivers then singled to score Newby. Jones then drilled a base hit to score Seivers to make it 4-0 after one inning.
Newby was strong inside the circle and the defense behind her was strong as she shut the Lady Rebels down for five innings. She got the win going all five innings and allowed no runs on four hits and three strikeouts.
Cochran was 1-2 with a double and a run scored.
Newby was 1-2 with a double, a walk, and a run scored while Jacobik was 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Seivers was 1-2 with an RBI and a walk.
Jones was 1-2 with an RBI and Kinsley Williams was 1-2.
“Skylar has been so big for us in the batter’s box and pitcher’s circle this year but not only her, the whole freshmen class is getting better and better,” Watson said.
“Our defense also played well today. It was a good solid defensive game,” she said.
On Saturday, Clinton resumed play in the Oak Ridge Invitational with an impressive 14-1 win over Northview Academy.
The Lady Dragons jumped on Northview early, scoring six in the inning. The Lady Cougars scored an unearned run the first and that was all Bradley allowed the rest of the way.
The Lady Dragons scored three in the second and five in the fourth. They pounded out 15 hits in the game.
Bradley pitched all four innings and allowed no earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts.
At the plate, Clinton’s Halie Martin went 3-3 with a triple and four RBI.
Jones was 2-3 with a double and three RBI while Bradley helped her own cause with a hit and two RBI.
Newby was 3-3 with two doubles and an RBI while Seivers was 2-3 with an RBI.
York was 1-2 with an RBI and Cochran was 2-4 with two runs scored.
In their final game of the tournament, Clinton fell to Sparta by a score of 14-2.
The ladies of Sparta scored eight in the first and five in the second. They added a run in the third.
The Lady Dragons scored two in the third as Newby and York drove in runs.
Newby took as she allowed four earned runs on 14 hits in three innings with two strikeouts. Once again, mistakes in the field haunted the Lady Dragons as they committed five errors behind Newby.
At the plate, Jacobik went 2-2 while Newby was 1-2 with an RBI. Cochran was 1-2 and York had an RBI.
The Lady Dragons return to action on Thursday when they host Campbell County at 6 p.m. They visit Grace Christian on Friday at 6 p.m. and travel to Halls on Monday at 5:30 p.m.
The Lady Dragons visit Powell on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.