Hope’s grand slam lifts Lady Pioneers; Tribe rolls

West Ridge and Science Hill dropped into an elimination matchup Monday.

All of Crockett’s runs came via the long ball. Freshman Brylee Tullock launched a two-run shot in the bottom of the third.

“That homer by Avery was a huge momentum boost for us and she was due,” Crockett coach Carla Weems said. “Avery had been struggling a little bit and she had gotten a base hit the first time, but it wasn’t her normal line-drive shots. She was a little disappointed in that first at-bat and I told her to just relax and hit her pitch.”

Karly Honeycutt had a solid outing for Crockett in the circle, throwing 110 pitches in a complete game and striking out five.

The Lady Wolves were held to seven hits and went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Most notably, West Ridge left runners on second and third in the fourth inning.

“Karly did a great job in the circle today,” Weems said. “I’m very proud of her and she did what we needed her to do.”

The Lady Wolves (18-19) had another opportunity, but Katelyn Jamison was tagged out at the plate to end the sixth trying to score from second.

CROCKETT’S BIG FRAME

The fourth started off with a flurry for the Lady Pioneers (17-15). Awna Kuykendall laid down a bunt between third base and the pitcher’s circle to reach safely.

With one out, Sydney Hodges reached on a single and Tullock was hit by a pitch to load the bases. On the second pitch of her at-bat, Hope took West Ridge’s Victoria Browder deep to left field to blow open the game.

Browder was efficient in taking the loss. She threw 66 pitches, only nine for balls, fanned three and allowed six hits.

But Crockett was 2-for-4 with runners in scoring position.

“Our hits came with runners on bases,” Weems said. “That was the difference. (Browder) has pitched against us I think three times this year and we knew what she’s bringing every time and she’s a good one.”

Camille Nottingham had two hits for West Ridge.

TRIBE PULLS AWAY LATE

Science Hill (6-26) had forged a 1-1 tie after four innings while Isabel Meeks held a dangerous D-B offense in check.

But things unraveled for the Lady Hilltoppers in the bottom of the fifth.

The Lady Indians (20-8) scored five times in the frame, highlighted by a two-out, base-clearing double by 9-hole hitter Allie McConnlee, who finished 3-for-3. That base knock got the Tribe dugout excited.

“Allie is incredible and she’s just a freshman,” Tipton said. “She gets it done. There was a time where she wasn’t in the lineup and she really wasn’t getting it done. We looked at her and we told her that we believed in her. She’s the only freshman on varsity and that’s saying something because this is a competitive team with a lot of upperclassmen.”

Tipton struck out nine on 97 pitches, allowing just three hits. One of the key innings for the standout junior was in the fourth when the Lady ’Toppers got aboard on a couple of errors and had two runners on with no outs.

But Tipton and company got two tag-outs at home before a strikeout ended the threat.

“That was something that teams work on because you never really know when you’re going to be in that situation,” Tipton said. “It plays into how good this defense is and we’re a defensively solid team.

“When they head down the line to score, you throw straight to the plate and Payton Moore is a wall back there. She’s going to tag you out every single time.”

Savannah Hutchins also had two hits for D-B.

Lora Wilgus, Kaylee Pickering and Meeks Science Hill’s hits.