Lady Mavs get win, but not one to cheer about
Anderson County High School honored its softball senior Lady Mavs last week. (photo:Ricky Williams )
But the Lady Mavericks couldn’t really enjoy it.
ACHS (14-11-1) made the trip to play Knoxville Central in one of its final tune-ups before the District 4-AAA Tournament gets underway Monday, and had just taken the lead before things came to a scary, screeching halt.
The Lady Mavericks were declared the 8-6 winners over the Lady Bobcats at Fountain City Ballpark when play was called with one out in the bottom of the fifth when a Central player suffered an apparent head or neck injury when she was thrown out attempting to steal.
The contest never resumed. The player left the field via ambulance, and Central Coach James Swaney conceded the game.
“We’re ahead 8-6 with one out in the fifth. They gave us the game, but we’re not going to advertise that we got a win tonight,” ACHS Coach Allen Russell said.
Anderson County scored six runs in the top of the fifth to turn a 6-2 deficit into an 8-6 advantage.
The first three Lady Mavericks reached base in the frame as Kaycee Baldwin was hit by a pitch, Reece Miller legged out an infield single, and Central relief pitcher Jayla Young plunked McKenna Miller with a pitch to load the bases.
Makayla Simmons drove in a run when she reached on an error to score Baldwin
Alli McKamey followed with a two-run single to make the score 6-5 before Simmons came home on another defensive miscue by the Lady Bobcats. Ashlynn Grisham then had an RBI single, and Lily Summer drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Leading 3-2 in the fourth, Central scored three runs in the bottom of the inning on an inside-the-park home run by Bella Collins and consecutive RBI doubles by Maddie Gloeckner and Jordan Mayes.
Anderson County scored first and took a 1-0 lead over Central starter Zoey Cranford with a two-out rally. McKenna Miller reached on an infield single and Kaylin McKamey walked.
McKenna Miller advanced to second and third when Cranford uncorked a pair of back-to-back wild pitches. She came home on a single by Simmons.
The Lady Bobcats took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning before ACHS pulled even.
Central regained the lead in the third, opening a 3-2 advantage.