Lady Dragons fall to Hornets in region
The 2024 softball season ended on a sour note for Clinton High School. For the third consecutive year, the Lady Dragons reached the Region 2-AAA Tournament.
And for the third straight time, Clinton was eliminated in the opening round as it lost, 7-0, to Carter High at Carter Park in Strawberry Plains.
Lady Hornets’ starting pitcher Malaney Etherton, the District 3-AAA Tournament winner, put up a masterful performance against Clinton Monday night. She carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before giving up back-to-back singles to Lynnlee Adkins and Bree McKamey in the top of the final frame.
Etherton, who yielded three walks and recorded six strikeouts, also went 1-for-4 with a double in the game. Kayla Rucker was 2-for-4. She had two doubles and scored twice for the Lady Hornets, who won their district tournament as a No. 2 seed.
Ivey Jones also had two hits for Carter. She doubled, scored and drove in a run.
In the circle, McKamey deserved a better fate for Clinton as her defense committed seven errors behind her.
The senior threw a complete game. She went six innings and surrendered just one earned run. She gave up 11 hits and three walks. She finished the contest with two strikeouts.
