Lady Mavs drop two district games
Anderson County’s Jada Reeves makes a diving stop against Powell on Thursday
It was scoreless until the top of the third when the Lady Red Devils plated a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead. They added a run in the fifth while the Lady Mavs got their sole run on an RBI-single by Maddie Sickau in the seventh.
Hannah Bruce pitched all seven innings and took the tough loss. She allowed three runs on five hits.
At the plate, Bruce and Emilee Fowler each collected a couple of hits. Sickau, Emelia Yelencich, Gracie Webb, Mallorie Overton, Jada Reeves, and Molly Muncy each had a base hit in the loss.
The Lady Mavs had no extra-base hits in the game.
With pending rain forecast for Wednesday, the Lady Mavs faced visiting Campbell County following the Halls game on Tuesday.
Anderson County won 17-2 in four innings as Kelsey Giles pitched all four innings for the win. She allowed one run on one hit and struck out four.
The Lady Mavs plated four in the first and 10 in the second. They added a run in the third and two in the fourth.
Yelencich went 3-3 with three RBI while Reeves went 1-1 with two RBI and three runs scored.
Sickau was 1-2 with a double and two RBI while Fowler was 1-1 with and RBI and Webb was 1-1 with two runs scored.
Courtney Lively was 1-2 with two RBI and MaKenzie Jones was 1-1 with an RBI.
“We hit it pretty well against Campbell County. We were pop-up city against Halls. Every time we would do something good we would make a mental error,” said Allen Russell, head coach of the Lady Mavs.
Visiting Powell battled through the falling rain to beat the Lady Mavs 6-1 on Thursday evening.
Anderson County took a 1-0 lead in the first when Reeves singled and later scored on a base hit by Yelencich.
The Lady Panthers tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third and scored two in the top of the fifth to lead 3-1.
Powell added three in the top of the sixth as the Lady Mavs could not generate any runs to respond.
Bruce took the loss as she sent seven innings and allowed six runs on 13 hits with three strikeouts.
Muncy was 2-3 while Overton was 1-3 with a double.
Sickau was also 1-3.
“We shot ourselves in foot again. We just made too many mistakes,” Russell said.
The road was not kind to Anderson County as they lost at Halls by a score of 7-1.
The Lady Red Devils scored a run in the bottom of the first but the Lady Mavs tied the game in the second when Webb doubled and Bruce launched a double to score her.
The game remained tied until the fourth when Halls added a run to lead 2-1. The Lady Red Devils chased four runs home in the fifth and added a run in the sixth.
Bruce took the loss as she went four and two-thirds, allowing five runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
Giles pitched the final inning and a third, allowing one run on two hits.
The offensive highlights were sparse for the Lady Mavs.
Webb was was 2-3 with two doubles and a run scored while Bruce was 1-2 with a double and an RBI.
Reeves and Overton also each added a hit.
“You can’t beat teams like Powell and Halls by scoring one run. That won’t do it,” Russell said.
On Monday, the Lady Mavs got back in the win column with a 3-1 decision over Grace Christian Academy.
The Lady Mavs got the lead in the bottom of the first when Sickau led off with a double. She scored on a base hit by Reeves.
The Lady Rams tied the game in the top of the third but Anderson County reclaimed the lead in the fifth when they scored a run. They added an insurance run in the sixth.
Bruce went the distance and allowed one run on three hits with four strikeouts.
Sickau was 3-3 with a double while Overton was 1-2 with a double.
Reeves went 1-2 with an RBI and Muncy was 1-3 with an RBI. Yelencich also had a hit for the Lady Mavs.
“It was a great performance by Bruce. We’re trying to get her stamina built up a little. She wasn’t supposed to pitch the whole game but she was throwing well so left her in,” Russell said.
“We changed the lineup a little bit and put some people hitting the ball pretty good and kind of bunched them up. It worked out pretty some of the girls that weren’t hitting, hit the ball hard tonight but just right at them a couple of times,” he said. “It’s a good thing to see. We’re not striking out.”
The Lady Mavs visit Clinton on Thursday at 6 p.m. Not only will it be a district game, it will also be “Alzheimer’s Awareness Night,” with proceeds of the game going to Alzheimer’s research, treatment, and/or care. Anderson County will wear purple socks and wristbands in support of Alzheimer’s Awareness. Russell’s mother, Lynn Anderson, purchased the gear for the Lady Mavs in memory of her mother, who suffered from the disease.
Anderson County will have their own “Alzheimer’s Awareness Night” on April 25, when they host Clinton.
The Lady Mavs will play in a tournament at Gibbs next Friday and Saturday — times and opponent are to be announced.
Anderson County will host Oak Ridge on Monday at 5:30 p.m. and visit Gibbs on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.