Clinton softball takes two in district, readies for Gibbs showdown
Entering the week, the Clinton High School softball team held a share of first place in the District 4-AAA standings.
The Lady Dragons had a chance to claim sole possession of the top spot on Tuesday when they traveled to Corryton to face defending district and state champion Gibbs. Results were unavailable at press time.
Clinton (19-7 overall, 5-0 in the district) won two of three games last week, with both victories coming in league play.
The Lady Dragons opened the week with a 14-4 win over Cumberland Gap on Tuesday.
Senior Taylor Sherwood sparked Clinton from the top of the order, going 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBIs.
The Lady Dragons pulled away with four runs in the fourth inning and six runs in the fifth.
Topanga Easterday singled and scored three times, while Lynlee Adkins went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI. Sara Bishop added a 2-for-4 performance with three RBIs and a run scored.
On Wednesday, April 2, the Lady Dragons lost 6-0 to Lemont, a large high school in Illinois.
“They were a really good team, and they’re a big school,” Clinton Coach Leonard Sams said.
Easterday went 2-for-3 and stole a base in the loss.
The Lady Dragons bounced back Thursday with an 11-7 district win at Union County in Maynardville.
Adkins went 2-for-5, tripled, drove in five runs and scored once as Clinton jumped out to an 11-3 lead.
Sherwood doubled and scored, while Bishop had a hit, scored twice and swiped a base.
Tegan Bunch singled, drove in a run and scored, and Elizabeth Graham scored twice, added a hit and stole a base.
Sams said he’s happy with how his squad is progressing, especially at the plate.
“Everybody is hitting the ball well right now,” he said. “We’re in a good position, and we have a really young team. ... We have four or five freshmen on the field at any given time.”
