Lady Dragons hold on for big win
Anderson County claws back from four run deficit, but drop 5-4 decision
The Clinton Lady Dragons bested visiting crosstown and district rival Anderson County last Monday by a score of 5-4 in softball.
The Lady Mavs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and that score held until the bottom of the third when Clinton plated five runs to go in front 5-1.
Anderson County chipped away at the lead scoring one run in each of the last three innings, but came up just short.
“Bree McKamey pitched a very good game,” said Leonard Sams, Clinton’s head coach. “I got a little worried there toward the end. We had six hits, but in all honesty, they [Anderson County] played very good defense.”
McKamey got the start and the win for the Lady Dragons. She pitched all seven innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and a walk. She was also 1-2 with an RBI at the plate.
Sarah Burton went 2-3 with a triple for Clinton, while Marissa Eccles was 2-3 with an RBI. Lynnlee Adkins finished 1-3 with a double and three RBI.
For the Lady Mavs, Reece Simpson took the loss. She pitched six innings and allowed four earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
Makenzie Henderson was 2-4 with a double and two RBI while Leah Freeman went 1-4 with a double and an RBI. Kaitlyn McKamey was 2-3 with an RBI and Kenzie Horton had a double. McKenna Miller and Jaylynn Bullock each had a hit.
The Lady Dragons split a double headed at Heritage last Friday.
In the first game, they fell to the host Lady Mountaineers by a score of 4-1.
Heritage scored a run in the bottom of the first but Clinton tied the game in the top of the fourth when Adkins drove in Eccles.
Unfortunately for the Lady Dragons, the Lady Mountaineers scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 4-1 lead, which held up late.
“That was probably one of the best defensive games I’ve seen a high school team play,” Sams said of Heritage. “We absolutely pounded the softball but right at them over and over and over again.”
Bree McKamey took the loss. She pitched six innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.
In addition to Adkins and Eccles, Burton, McKamey, Cheryl Breeden, Tomi Taylor, and Taylor Sherwood each had a base hit.
In the second game of the evening, the Lady Dragons beat Carter 5-4.
The Lady Hornets took a 2-0 lead in the first inning before Clinton rallied to tie the score at 2-2 in the top of the third.
Carter moved to a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third but the Lady Dragons rallied to take a 4-3 lead in the fifth. The Lady Hornets tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the inning but Clinton got the decisive go ahead run in the top of the seventh.
“Taylor Sherwood did an outstanding job keeping them off base. Defense was sound,” Sams said.
Sherwood got the win. She pitched seven innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts and three walks. She was 1-3 with a double at the plate.
Eccles went 4-4 while McKamey was 1-3 with three RBI. Adkins went 2-2 and Breeden was 2-4 with two RBI.
The Lady Dragons return to action Thursday when they visit Anderson County at 5:30 p.m.
