Lady Mavs, Lady Dragons close season
Anderson County’s Gracie Webb charges a bunt against Powell on Wednesday
The Lady Mavericks were eliminated by Powell 2-1 Wednesday after AC knocked out the Lady Dragons the previous day 13-3 in a game called in the fifth inning due to the mercy rule.
Powell needed two wins over Halls in the double-elimination tournament to win the district championship. Powell and Halls advanced to this week’s Region 2-AAA Tournament.
AC pitcher Hannah Bruce allowed only three hits against Powell in the Lady Mavs’ elimination game. However, AC batters could only collect five hits and two costly errors in the fifth were costly to the Lady Mavs,
Bruce went the distance, allowing two runs, walking two and striking out one.
With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Powell’s eventual winning run scored after the Lady Panthers reached base on a single and outfield error. The runner scored on an infield error.
The Lady Mavs’ last chance in the seventh started with Emelia Yelencich’s single before Maci Houser came in to pinch run. Makenzie Jones then bunted Houser to second on the sacrifice. Mallorie Overton then singled to advance Houser to third. Back-to-back strikeouts snuffed out the Lady Mavs’ last hope.
After Powell took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, the Lady Mavs evened matters in the second. Emilee Fowler reached first on an infield error before Bruce sacrificed her to second. Yelencich then singled home Fowler with the tying run.
Tuesday’s AC-Clinton elimination game saw the Lady Dragons take a 1-0 first-inning lead when Sophie Seivers singled home Annabelle Jackson.
Maddie Sickau quickly tied the score for the Lady Mavs in the bottom of the first when she led off with a home run.
The Lady Mavs pushed three runs across in the home second. Yelencich reached on a single and scored when Overton’s ground ball caused an error. Sickau then doubled to score Overton. Sickau came home on Jada Reeves’ bunt single.
AC added three runs in the home third. Bruce was hit by a pitch before designated runner Abbie Buswell scored on Courtney Lively’s triple. Lively came home as Yelencich hit into an infield error. After Jones reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second, she scored on Overton’s double.
The Lady Dragons responded with two runs in the top of the fourth as Hannah Freeman relieved Bruce on the mound for the Lady Mavs. Seivers doubled and advanced to third on a passed ball before crossing the plate on Angel Fields’ base hit. Fields came around on Nikki Jones’ double.
AC scored twice in the fourth. With two out, Fowler walked and Freeman singled. Buswell ran for Freeman. Lively’s triple plated the runners as the Lady Mavs were up 9-3 after four innings.
With two out in the top of the fifth, Clinton collected consecutive singles by Halie Martin and Seivers. However, a ground out ended the inning.
The Lady Mavs ended the game in the bottom of the fifth as Jones, Sickau and Reeves reached on singles. Overton scored Jones on a ground out. Webb’s two-run single plated Sickau and Reeves. Freeman ended the game when she singled home Webb.