By Michael Lindsay
Two of Tennessee’s softball state champions met on the diamond at Crump Paris Park Monday afternoon as the defending class 1A champion Gordonsville Tigerettes defeated the defending 4A champion Green Hill Hawks, 5-0.
University of Tennessee commit Kailey Plumlee picked up the victory in the circle as she struck out 13 batters while surrendering 2 hits and 4 walks in 7 shutout innings. First baseman Kelsie Watts led the Tigerettes at the plate as she went 3-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
Gordonsville opened the contest with two runs in the bottom of the first inning as a Makenzie Herron single to right scored Camri Johnson and Watts, giving the Tigerettes a 2-0 lead.
Neither team found home for the second through fourth inning before Gordonsville plated two more in the bottom of the fifth. A Bailey Stewart single scored Johnson followed by Christina Ray drawing a bases-loaded walk to score Madison Askew.
Gordonsville tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth as a Watts line drive to left scored Kelsey Haley, making the score 5-0 in favor of the Tigerettes.
Plumlee shut the door on any comeback attempts as she struck out the side to seal her team’s 5-0 victory.
Monday’s win evens the series between the two as Green Hill defeated Gordonsville on March 19, 3-2.
Gordonsville improves to 14-4 overall and is scheduled to play at Smith County on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. weather permitting.
