Junior ace Yulai Woodruff struck out 18 Bradley Central batters and the East Hamilton bats rapped out a dozen hits in a key victory Tuesday, tying the teams atop the District 6-4A standings.
The Lady Canes blasted the Bearettes by a score of 11-3.
Although both have makeup games left at league cellar-dweller Howard (1-11, 0-4) next week, the teams are likely to finish the regular season knotted atop the regular season race, since the Bearettes won the previous battle 6-1.
If overall record is the tie-breaker, then the Lady Hurricanes (12-8) hold the advantage over Bradley (8-14) for the top seed in the district tournament, which will be played starting May 3 back at East Hamilton.
East Ham is slated to face non-district opponents Hixson Wednesday before taking on the Lady Hustlin' Tigers on April 30 and travel to Marion County May 1.
The Bearettes host sixth-ranked (2A) Meigs County Wednesday and travel to Whitwell Friday. Bradley will journey to Howard on April 29, play at No. 16 Cleveland the following day and host Whitwell May 1.
After Bradley leadoff batter My'Rah Greenwood reached on an error to open Tuesday's game and Alyssa Herbold was "plunked," Woodruff struck out the next half dozen batters.
The Bearettes put all three of their runs on the scoreboard in the top of the third.
Preston Sanders opened the rally with one of just two walks issued by Woodruff. Greenwood followed with an infield hit and both runners moved up a base on a throwing error.
Herbold then beat out an infield hit to plate one run. She and Greenwood completed the circuit a few moments later when Tori Cagle laced a two-out double down the right field line.
Notching at least two Ks in each frame, Woodruff only allowed three base runners the rest of the way, plus finished with six strikeouts in the final seven Bradley batters.
Falling into a 3-0 hole, East Ham answered with a pair in the bottom of the third when Jada Rutley reached on an error and swiped second. After a free pass to Bailey Poschke, the duo pulled off a double steal.
The first run scored on a sac fly by Henley Apps, while the other came around when Madilyn Evans stroked a two-out two-bagger.
The Lady Hurricanes poured down a 5-run deluge with five hits in the fourth frame, including three-run triple by Poscke, a run-scoring double of the bat of Apps, plus Rutley helped out with a RBI-infield hit.
In the fifth inning, Faith Wadley drove in a run with a ground out to plate Kailyn Mendoza, who had opened the at bat with a free pass.
East Ham tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth on RBI-singles from Evans and Gabby Printup, plus a sac fly by Mendoza.
Poscke reached base four times with a pair of hits and two walks, plus drove in three teammates and circled the bases herself thrice.
Rutley, Evans and Printup knocked a couple of hits apiece, while Apps dronve in a pair and Rultey, who also reached on an error, scored twice.
Herbold ripped a two-out triple in the top of the seventh before Woodruff K'd the final batter.
Game Summary
District 6-4A
Tuesday, April 23
at Collegedale
Bradley Central 003 000 0 — 3 5 2
East Hamilton 002 513 x — 11 12 3
Long, Callahan (4), Bailey (4) and Sanders; Woodruff and Apps.
WP: Yulai Woodruff. LP: Madison Long. Records: Bradley Central 8-14, 4-1 District 6-4A; East Hamilton 12-8, 4-1 District 6-4A.
(Email Joe Cannon at joe.cannon@clevelandbanner.com)