The 2024 Cloudland softball team wrote their way into the history books with an exclamation point.
The Lady ‘Landers claimed the program’s first district tournament title by outlasting North Greene to take a 6-1 victory in the District 1-A Championship if-necessary game on Saturday afternoon at Unaka.
With the win, Cloudland is set to host Hancock County on Monday to open the Region 1-A tournament. North Greene is set to travel to Cosby.
The Lady Huskies struck first in the top of the second.
With two outs, Kaydence Marshall reached base on an error, while Jourdanne Marr and Kinslee Sauceman drew walks to load the bases. Heidi Harmon hit a single to center field to plate Marshall and give North Greene an early 1-0 lead.
Cloudland answered in the fourth.
Ryan Turbyfill had a lead-off double, while Layken Blair hit a single to score Turbyfill to tie the game.
Reagan Turbyfill hit a single to get on base and scored off an Izabella Christman single to give CHS a 2-1 lead after four complete innings.
Matti Phillips got on base for NG in the top of the fifth, but a line out and a fly out stranded the runner.
In the bottom of the sixth, Cloudland added an exclamation point.
Peyton Preswood hit a two-out single to get on base, and Christman hit a two-run home run in the next at-bat to increase the CHS lead.
Saharra McKinney hit a single to extend the inning. Savannah McCoury pushed McKinney across the plate as she hit a single to center field, while Eowyn McCoury plated S. McCoury to give Cloudland a 6-1 lead after the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, the Lady ‘Landers retired North Greene in order to secure the win.
Christman was 2-for-2 with three RBI, while S. McCoury and E. McCoury had two hits and an RBI apiece. Blair added a hit and an RBI.
McKinney, Ry. Turbyfill, Rea. Turbyfill, and Preswood each added a hit.
Rea. Turbyfill picked up the win in the pitching circle as she allowed no earned runs on two hits with eight strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
Rea. Turbyfill was named the tournament MVP, while she was joined by Jayla Harper, E. McCoury, S. McCoury, and Ry. Turbyfill on the All-Tournament team.
Hannah Brooks and Heidi Haron each had a hit for NG. Brooks struck out seven batters for NG while allowing five earned runs on nine hits.
Matti Phillips, Haley Bailey, Brooks, and Harmon represented NG on the All-Tournament team.
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