Clinton bats surge entering district play
The final week of the 2026 regular softball season brought mixed results for Clinton High School, and a loss to Powell on Tuesday, April 29, in Northwest Knox County left Coach Leonard Sams with concerns.
“We had some pitching problems and I think we gave up 10 walks,” Sams said after the Lady Dragons dropped a 9-4 decision to the Lady Panthers. “Our pitching really struggled.
“I was a little concerned about our pitching after that game.”
Despite the struggles in the circle, Clinton had a good shoowing at the plate.
“We hit the ball very well against Powell,” Sams said. “We just had problems pitching.”
McKenley Osborne and Bryana Holt each had two hits. Holt added an RBI and scored a run, while Osborne doubled and drove in a run. Sara Bishop doubled and scored twice, and Mandy Chambers went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
Clinton closed the regular season with a 7-3 victory over Oliver Springs on Thursday. The Lady Dragons pounded out 14 hits against the Lady Bobcats.
Holt went 3-for-4 with RBIs and a run scored. Chambers collected three hits, including a sacrifice fly, and finished with an RBI and a run scored. Bishop added three hits, including a double, a stolen base and three runs scored.
“I was happy with the way we bounced back against Oliver Springs,” Sams said.
The Lady Dragons opened District 4-AAA tournament play against Union County on Monday night with a 10-2 win to advance to the quarterfinals against Gibbs on Tuesday. Results were not available as of press time.
