ATHENS — In a wild game that saw 28 hits, eight free passes and seven errors, Bradley Central's softball squad held off a late comeback by host McMinn County Monday.
"We are very proud of the girls," declared Bearette head coach Hallie Geren after the hard-fought 10-8 victory. "McMinn is a good team and always has been.
"We got ahead early, had some great hits and aggressive baserunning that put us ahead and kept us on top. Great performance from our pitchers, defense and offense tonight."
With a 3-0 District 5-4A mark, Bradley (7-13) will return to league play with back-to-back road trips to Ooltewah Thursday and Howard Friday.
While jumping out to a 2-0 lead after the game's opening at bat, Bradley added two more runs in the third before exploding for a 5-spot in the top of the fourth and adding its final score in the sixth inning.
McMinn (6-11) managed solo scores in the third, fourth and sixth frames before exploding for five runs in the game's final at bat.
Freshman Addi Staton led the 18-hit Bearette offense, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a pair of RBI and scoring three times.
Also knocking out a trio of hits, junior Georgia Gibson plated four teammates in the victory.
Freshman My'Rah Greenwood helped out with a couple of hits and drew a walk before completing the circle twice.
Sophomores Kaylee Callahan and Karly Farkas both stroked a double in their two hits apiece, with the former also collecting a "ribbie" and coming around to score once.
Tori Cagle, als a 10th-grader drilled a pair of single, driving in one and scoring herself.
Junior Lynlee Hodge plated a pair of teammates with a hit and circled the bases herself.
Senior Kaitlyn Bailey earned the pitching victory, striking out seven while going six innings with just on walk and "plunking" a pair, while allowing just two earned runs.
Senior Madison Long came on to get the final two outs to stop the Tribe final frame rally short to earn the save.
Bradley left 11 "ducks on the pond" while McMinn stranded seven runners.
Game Summary
Monday, April 15
in Athens
Bradley Central 202 501 0 — 10 18 3
McMinn County 001 101 5 — 8 8 4
WP: Kaitlyn Bailey 6 IP, 7 Ks, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 7 hits, 2 ER. LP: Bailey Derrick. Save: Madison Long .2 IP, 0 hits. HR: Addi Staton (BC); Trinity Riedel (MC). 2B: Karly Farkas, Kaylee Callahan (BC). RBI: Georgia Gibson 4, Lynlee Hodge 2, Stanton 2, Callahan (BC); McKenzie Wall 2, Abbie Wiseman, Riedel (MC). Records: Bradley Central 7-13; McMinn County 6-11.
