WHITWELL, Tenn. — The inexperience, injuries and inconsistencies of the early season are now just a bad memory for a suddenly surging Whitwell softball team.
The Lady Tigers, who returned just four players with any significant playing experience, weathered a string of injuries that left coach Rebecca Castle to comb the halls for healthy bodies nearly a month after the season began and a challenging early schedule that prepared them for the postseason.
Monday evening, finally sending a healthy lineup onto the field, Whitwell blasted visiting Sale Creek 9-3 in a Region 3-1A semifinal matchup.
"Last Thursday was the first time all season where we were able to practice with a whole team healthy," Castle said. "We struggled the first couple of weeks just to win a game so it feels pretty good to finally be playing like we're capable of."
The Lady Tigers (15-13) will host county rival South Pittsburg Wednesday for the region championship, with the winner hosting a sectional on Friday while the loser would travel. South Pittsburg defeated Copper Basin 7-0 Monday.
In what amounted to extended batting practice, Whitwell wasted no time in taking command of the game. After Jacie Willis led off the home half of the first by reaching on an error, senior slugger Mallory O'Neal drilled an 0-2 pitch for a two-run homer.
Ella Grace Harvey added an RBI double and Lyndsey Gonzalez followed with a run-scoring single for a commanding 4-0 lead.
After Sale Creek cut its deficit in half on Emberly Seals' two-run homer — one of two for her on the day — Whitwell immediately answered with four more runs in the second and was never again threatened.
"That home run by Mallory really was a huge spark for our whole lineup," Castle said. "That got everybody excited and ready to hit. We can be a dangerous lineup when everybody shows up ready like they did tonight."
Whitwell collected 14 total hits, including a third-inning homer by Kasie Britton, who went 3-for-3, and an RBI single by Kailee Yarber. All but one batter in the Lady Tigers' lineup got at least one hit.
Karleigh Dempsey and Lyndsey Gonzalez each added sac-fly RBIs, while Yarber, who had two hits at the plate, allowed just three hits and struck out six for the win.
"I was just looking for a pitch to drive for a base hit," O'Neal said of her early homer. "I wasn't thinking home run. As soon as I hit it, I just put my head down and started running. I didn't even know it had gone out until I was almost to first base and saw my coach celebrating.
"This feels like a totally different team than we were to start the season. We have a lot of chemistry and love to play for each other. We've come a long way."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com.