Lady 'Blazers Edge Science Hill For Fifth Consecutive Region Berth
GRAY, Tenn. -- The Daniel Boone softball team has made the regional tournament every single year since 2019. The streak will continue for at least another year, as the Lady Trailblazers turned back Science Hill by a 2-1 margin in an elimination game in the District 1-4A tournament.
Boone (22-11), which won the Big 4 Conference title and is hosting the tournament, advanced to face D-B (27-10) for the district championship at noon. Should Boone win, the two teams will play an if-necessary game for all the marbles after a break of about 30 minutes.
Whomever wins the district tournament crown will get to host its winner-take-all regional semifinal on Monday.
“You win Monday, then you're guaranteed Wednesday-Friday. That's always been our goal every year,” Boone coach Jeremy Jenkins said.
The Trailblazers have reached the state tournament in each of the past three seasons. The seniors on this team were playing in their 160th game and notched their 130th victory.
“When we step on the lines, we expect to win every game. Our girls know that,” Jenkins said. “We really try to build ourselves and play our schedule to where we’re playing our best at the end. … this group here is no different.”
Science Hill (21-10) had a chance to send Boone packing. On a day when the wind was blowing in and run-scoring opportunities were at a premium, the Lady Hilltoppers grabbed a 1-0 lead on Isabel Meeks’ solo home run in the second inning. Meeks, Science Hill’s pitcher, helped her own cause by belting the 1-1 pitch over the wall in left field.
Boone got the equalizer in the bottom of the third, when Riley Croley uncorked a blast to center-right after working a full count off of Meeks.
“We were kind of on fumes over there. They had all the momentum,” Jenkins said of the scenario prior to Croley’s dinger.
“I just knew she was going to fill up the zone. Whenever she gave me all those pitches, I knew she was going to come inside,” Croley said. “I felt the inside pitch. With our games getting rained out, we've been working really hard in the cage and I've really been working on that inside pitch trying to pull it and that's exactly what happened today.”
Croley said that, even when Science Hill took the lead in a game with the season on the line, Boone’s players did not get rattled:
“I have a lot of trust in this team and I know that once we get down there's always a way back with this team. We all trust each other,” she said, adding, “Once you find a team that has consistently been together through the years, you start to trust each other and build bonds. It's more than softball with this team. We have a friendship that's pretty unbreakable.”
“We've been here for a couple of years,” Boone pitcher Ava Saul added. “There's no reason to feel pressure.”
Momentum turned in the sixth inning. Science Hill put two runners on after Beth Pridemore led off with a single and Lora Wilgus coaxed a one-out walk. Jenkins came out for a mound visit that drew in the entire Boone starting infield and pitcher Ava Saul.
“I told her just to throw strikes,” Jenkins said. “She's the reason why we're here and we're gonna go with her. So don't even look like somebody else is going in; we're going with you. And she's gonna battle you. We're glad she's playing for us.”
Saul battled in the circle and at the plate. After Jenkins’ visit, she induced an inning-ending double play. After Croley led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to the left-center gap, then reached third on Josie Jenkins’ sacrifice bunt, Saul brought her home on a groundout to second base.
“Ava bats third and Kyleigh (Bacon) bats fourth. That's who we want hitting with runners on. One of those two is gonna get them in there. That's what we kind of hang our hat on,” Jenkins said.
Science Hill kept battling. Malia Maroukas, part of the Hilltoppers’ all-senior outfield, drew a one-out walk and stole second base but got stranded there as Saul tallied back-to-back strikeouts to end the game, thus extending Boone’s streak of regional appearances.
Hits were hard to come by; each team finished with four knocks.
“You can't ask for much more and that's what I just told them: they came out, they competed, they had opportunities. It stings, but you want your kids to compete and my kids showed up and they competed today,” Science Hill coach Megan Harmon said, adding, “As coaches, we’re not necessarily looking at the wins and the losses. We’re looking at the building blocks. What do we do in the offseason to be able to come back from last year? What did we do throughout this year to be able to show up and compete in this game? The regional tournament should be our expectation and as coaches we see those building blocks starting to really build up. The future is bright.”
Boone has to win twice on Saturday to secure the regional title. The mindset of the Lady ’Blazers could be summarized as, challenge accepted.
“We're just gonna go win it,” Saul said.
It was a clean game defensively with no error on either side. In addition to the Boone double play, freshman Skylar Hall made a fine play at third base to rob Reagan Carroll of a hit. Science Hill standout shortstop Maddie Diamond made a highlight play of her own in the third inning, throwing out Hall. That came right before the Croley home run.
Science Hill -- Isabel Meeks and Lora Wilgus; Daniel Boone -- Ava Saul and Kyleigh Bacon. W - Saul. L - Meeks. 2B - Daniel Boone 2 (Riley Croley, Bacon). HR - Science Hill 1 (Meeks, 2nd, solo), Boone 1 (Croley, 3rd, solo). RBI - Science Hill 1 (Meeks), Boone 2 (Croley, Saul). SH - Boone 1 (Josie Jenkins). SB - Science Hill 2 (Kaylee Oler, Malia Maroukas). CS - Science Hill 1 (Beth Pridemore). LOB - Science Hill 5, Boone 3.
Boone (22-11), which won the Big 4 Conference title and is hosting the tournament, advanced to face D-B (27-10) for the district championship at noon. Should Boone win, the two teams will play an if-necessary game for all the marbles after a break of about 30 minutes.
Whomever wins the district tournament crown will get to host its winner-take-all regional semifinal on Monday.
“You win Monday, then you're guaranteed Wednesday-Friday. That's always been our goal every year,” Boone coach Jeremy Jenkins said.
The Trailblazers have reached the state tournament in each of the past three seasons. The seniors on this team were playing in their 160th game and notched their 130th victory.
“When we step on the lines, we expect to win every game. Our girls know that,” Jenkins said. “We really try to build ourselves and play our schedule to where we’re playing our best at the end. … this group here is no different.”
Science Hill (21-10) had a chance to send Boone packing. On a day when the wind was blowing in and run-scoring opportunities were at a premium, the Lady Hilltoppers grabbed a 1-0 lead on Isabel Meeks’ solo home run in the second inning. Meeks, Science Hill’s pitcher, helped her own cause by belting the 1-1 pitch over the wall in left field.
Boone got the equalizer in the bottom of the third, when Riley Croley uncorked a blast to center-right after working a full count off of Meeks.
“We were kind of on fumes over there. They had all the momentum,” Jenkins said of the scenario prior to Croley’s dinger.
“I just knew she was going to fill up the zone. Whenever she gave me all those pitches, I knew she was going to come inside,” Croley said. “I felt the inside pitch. With our games getting rained out, we've been working really hard in the cage and I've really been working on that inside pitch trying to pull it and that's exactly what happened today.”
Croley said that, even when Science Hill took the lead in a game with the season on the line, Boone’s players did not get rattled:
“I have a lot of trust in this team and I know that once we get down there's always a way back with this team. We all trust each other,” she said, adding, “Once you find a team that has consistently been together through the years, you start to trust each other and build bonds. It's more than softball with this team. We have a friendship that's pretty unbreakable.”
“We've been here for a couple of years,” Boone pitcher Ava Saul added. “There's no reason to feel pressure.”
Momentum turned in the sixth inning. Science Hill put two runners on after Beth Pridemore led off with a single and Lora Wilgus coaxed a one-out walk. Jenkins came out for a mound visit that drew in the entire Boone starting infield and pitcher Ava Saul.
“I told her just to throw strikes,” Jenkins said. “She's the reason why we're here and we're gonna go with her. So don't even look like somebody else is going in; we're going with you. And she's gonna battle you. We're glad she's playing for us.”
Saul battled in the circle and at the plate. After Jenkins’ visit, she induced an inning-ending double play. After Croley led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to the left-center gap, then reached third on Josie Jenkins’ sacrifice bunt, Saul brought her home on a groundout to second base.
“Ava bats third and Kyleigh (Bacon) bats fourth. That's who we want hitting with runners on. One of those two is gonna get them in there. That's what we kind of hang our hat on,” Jenkins said.
Science Hill kept battling. Malia Maroukas, part of the Hilltoppers’ all-senior outfield, drew a one-out walk and stole second base but got stranded there as Saul tallied back-to-back strikeouts to end the game, thus extending Boone’s streak of regional appearances.
Hits were hard to come by; each team finished with four knocks.
“You can't ask for much more and that's what I just told them: they came out, they competed, they had opportunities. It stings, but you want your kids to compete and my kids showed up and they competed today,” Science Hill coach Megan Harmon said, adding, “As coaches, we’re not necessarily looking at the wins and the losses. We’re looking at the building blocks. What do we do in the offseason to be able to come back from last year? What did we do throughout this year to be able to show up and compete in this game? The regional tournament should be our expectation and as coaches we see those building blocks starting to really build up. The future is bright.”
Boone has to win twice on Saturday to secure the regional title. The mindset of the Lady ’Blazers could be summarized as, challenge accepted.
“We're just gonna go win it,” Saul said.
It was a clean game defensively with no error on either side. In addition to the Boone double play, freshman Skylar Hall made a fine play at third base to rob Reagan Carroll of a hit. Science Hill standout shortstop Maddie Diamond made a highlight play of her own in the third inning, throwing out Hall. That came right before the Croley home run.
Science Hill | 010 | 000 | 0 | -- | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Daniel Boone | 001 | 001 | x | -- | 2 | 4 | 0 |
Science Hill -- Isabel Meeks and Lora Wilgus; Daniel Boone -- Ava Saul and Kyleigh Bacon. W - Saul. L - Meeks. 2B - Daniel Boone 2 (Riley Croley, Bacon). HR - Science Hill 1 (Meeks, 2nd, solo), Boone 1 (Croley, 3rd, solo). RBI - Science Hill 1 (Meeks), Boone 2 (Croley, Saul). SH - Boone 1 (Josie Jenkins). SB - Science Hill 2 (Kaylee Oler, Malia Maroukas). CS - Science Hill 1 (Beth Pridemore). LOB - Science Hill 5, Boone 3.
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