Lady ‘Cats bounce back in win over Coalfield
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Lady Wildcats pitcher MacKenzie Miller was in the circle for the visiting Lady Beavers during last weeks home meeting. - Tony Cox
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Brenna Bradshaw gets a hit during the Lady Wildcats Thursday night home game against Karns. - Tony Cox
The Oak Ridge High School softball team snapped its two-game losing streak and made it to the .500 mark with a 9-4 victory over Coalfield in its first road game of the 2024 season Monday night.
After falling behind the Lady Jackets, 1-0, in the bottom of the first inning, the Wildcats scored twice in the top of the second and plated four more runs in the top of the third to open a 6-1 lead.
From there, the Lady Wildcats never looked back as they had a 9-1 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh.
Coalfield made things a bit more interesting in its final at-bat. The Lady Jackets scored four runs in the home half of the seventh.
Oak Ridge pounded out 15 hits in the contest. Seven of the Lady Wildcats’ safeties went for extra bases.
Cambrie Hixson went 3-for-4 and had two doubles and knocked in four runs, while Mackenzie Miller went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, three runs and two RBIs.
Kaylee Hickman tossed a complete game in the circle for the Lady Wildcats. She gave up four runs (three earned) and 10 hits. She didn’t walk a batter, while striking out seven.
She also had a big night at the plate as she went 3-for-5 with two doubles. Brenna Bradshaw had a double and an RBI in the contest.
The win snapped the Lady Wildcats’ two-game losing streak as they lost back-to-back District 3-4A games to Knoxville Halls (10-0) and Karns (10-0).
Despite the two lopsided losses to the Lady Devils and Lady Beavers, ORHS first-year head coach Jeremy Gill saw some positives.
“I was really pleased with the way our girls hung in there, but we fell apart and had some errors and some mental mistakes,” Gill said. “You can’t give trams like Halls and Karns four or five outs in an inning, and we didn’t hit the ball.”
Karns and Halls both held Oak Ridge to one hit. Miller had a single against the Lady Devils, while Bradshaw singled against the Lady Beavers.
ORHS opened last week with a 6-5 victory over Lenoir City on Monday, March 18.
Bradshaw had a double and triple against the Lady Panthers, while Miller hit a home run and Morgan Perry came up with a double.