JOHNSON CITY — Julianne Tipton tossed a five-inning no-hitter and the Dobyns-Bennett softball team beat Elizabethton 3-0 on Saturday to kick off the second day of pool play in the East Tennessee Classic.
“She was throwing the ball good,” Lady Indians coach Andy Hubbard said. “She’s hard-nosed, she works like crazy. We couldn’t have asked any more from her.”
Tipton began the contest by retiring the first eight hitters she faced for the Tribe (5-0). She allowed only three baserunners throughout the game, all via the walk.
For most of the game, Tipton was working with only one run of support. That came in the first inning when Hailey Porter’s speed turned a single into a double, she advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a bunt.
“(Porter) has been a great player for three years,” Hubbard said. “She gets us started. She’s got a good bat, good head for the game, and plays hard.”
Lilly McDuffie did her best to match Tipton’s efforts for the Lady Cyclones (5-4), allowing just that one run through the first three innings. However, the Lady Indians struck for two runs in the fourth to pad the lead.
“We didn’t swing it very well the whole game,” Hubbard said. “(McDuffie) kept us off balance well. She did a good job moving the ball around but we’ve got to hit the ball better.”
The Lady Indians will begin the knockout portion of the East Tennessee Classic at 5 p.m. Hubbard said that they'll have to find more offensively to win.
“We’ve got to score some more runs,” Hubbard said. “Got to swing the bat better.”
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