KINGSPORT — The Alcoa softball team used two runs in the fourth to pull away from David Crockett on Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Pioneers fell 6-2, finishing second to Alcoa in this year’s Eastman Invitational at Brickyard Park.
“We had a great weekend,” Lady Pioneers head coach Alex Dulaney said. “We were a little nervous coming in, because we’ve kind of got the injury bug … We ended up starting three freshmen all weekend long. But some girls stepped up, we hit the ball well.”
Both fourth-inning runs for Alcoa were a result of defensive miscues from the Lady Pioneers. Back-to-back at-bats ended with a Crockett infield error with a runner on base to plate a pair.
However, the early frames of the contest resembled that of a heavyweight bout, both sides feeling each other out.
Madelyn Dulaney gave the Lady Pioneers the lead in the top of the first on an RBI single, but the Lady Tornadoes immediately tied the game in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double.
Alcoa then took its first lead in the second, but Crockett countered with a run in the third with a run-scoring single by Autumn Wynn, knotting the contest back up at two a side.
“We had two or three girls that hadn’t had a lot of playing time,” Alex Dulaney said. “Autumn Wynn is one of those. Girls like that, getting the reps, getting girls healthy, we will be in a good spot.”
The Lady Tornadoes added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run, opposite-field home run by Olivia Emert.
“That’s why we play every game, is to win,” Alcoa head coach Sarah Bailey said. “I told our kids, coming into today, ‘We’re not coming out here to play in the consolation game. That’s like kissing your sister; it’s awkward and gross.’
“We played a lot of ball games, and a lot of really good competition, and that’s what we want. We want our kids to be prepared at the end of the season to win a state championship.”
Dobyns-Bennett 15, Powell 1 (3rd Place)
Allie McConnelee homered once and drove in five runs in Sunday afternoon’s consolation matchup for the Tribe.
Five different Lady Indian batters had multiple hits, with Riley McMillan getting three hits in three at-bats. Hailey Porter (double), Catie Zani, Payton Moore and McConnelee all had two hits, and Indiya Bristol doubled.
Braelynn Ferrell scattered six hits to get the win in the circle.
Leslie Hensley went 1-for-2 with a home run for the Lady Panthers.
Crockett 2, D-B 1 (Semifinals/8 innings)
Autumn Wynn hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning to send the Lady Pioneers to the championship game.
Madelyn Dulaney went all eight innings in the circle for Crockett, scattering just four hits with five strikeouts. She and Laney Britton (2-for-3) both doubled.
Julianne Tipton had a single and the lone RBI for the Lady Indians. Allie McConnelee struck out 10 in her seven innings pitched.
