Dragon fire
Clinton softball heats up with three wins at Ripken tourney
-
Taylor Sherwood (33) hits an inside-the-park home run against West Creek High School (Clarksville) on Friday afternoon during the Ripken Tournament in Pigeon Forge. The Lady Dragons’ bats were hot as the team notched 11 hits and 15 runs in a 15-0 win over the Lady Coyotes. - Tony Cox
-
Clinton’s Mandy Chambers had a single and scored during the Lady Dragons 15-0 win over West Creek High. - Tony Cox
Clinton High School softball Coach Leonard Sams said he is pleased with his squad’s effort early in the 2025 season.
After taking tme off for spring break, the Lady Dragons returned to the diamond and won three of their five games at the Ripken Tournament in Pigeon Forge.
Clinton faced tough competition throughout the tournament.
“The competition was probably tougher than I thought it was going to be,” Sams said. “But it’s early, and the key for this team is growth. We still have a pretty young team, and people forget that.
“We keep getting better every time we play,” he said. “I’m happy with our offense, I’m happy with our defense, and our pitching is starting to catch up.”
Clinton (4-3) opened tournament play Friday morning with a 6-5 victory over Mount Lebanon.
The Lady Dragons started hot, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning.
But the Lady Devils cut Clinton’s lead in half with two runs in the bottom of the frame, before Clinton added single runs in the second and fifth innings.
Lynnlee Adkins went 1-for-3 with a triple, two RBIs, and a run scored, while freshman Tegan Bunch tripled and scored.
In their second game Friday, the Lady Dragons fell 4-2 to Upper St. Clair.
Clinton struck early, scoring both of its runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. However, the Lady Dragons did not record a hit in the contest, which was called after two innings due to a tournament time limit.
Norah Elliott, Bryana Holt and Sara Bishop each stole a base for Clinton.
Later that day, the Lady Dragons dominated West Creek with a 15-0 victory in a game that was called after two innings due to an injury.
“They had a player get hurt, and that was unfortunate,” Sams said.
Despite the shortened game, Clinton’s offense exploded, scoring 10 runs in the first inning and five more in the second.
Bunch, Adkins, and Taylor Sherwood each homered for the Lady Dragons, while Mandy Chambers tripled
Chambers finished with two hits, two runs, and an RBI. Sherwood scored three times and drove in three runs, while Bunch recorded three RBIs.
On Saturday, Clinton outlasted Deer Creek 2-0 behind a stellar pitching performance from Elizabeth Graham, who threw a complete-game shutout. She scattered six hits over seven innings. Chambers doubled, while Bunch and Graham each singled.
The Lady Dragons closed out the tournament with a 16-8 loss to Pine-Richland, a team from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“That’s the best team that I’ve seen in a long time,” Sams said. “Man, they were really good.”
Chambers went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Bunch and Bishop each had three hits, including a triple.
Sherwood added two hits, including a double, and drove in a run.
“The girls are really swinging the bats well right now,” Sams said.
