Lady Indians Perfect Ten in Claiming First-Ever Region Title
KINGSPORT, Tenn. -- For the first time ever, the Dobyns-Bennett softball team has captured a regional championship.
The Lady Indians achieved that historic feat in dominant fashion, defeating Morristown West 10-0 in five innings on Wednesday in the Region 1-4A finals at Indian Highland Park.
“It's a crazy feeling and also awesome to be able to make some history and leave our mark on D-B,” said Sophie Dean, who played first base for the Tribe and blasted a three-run home run in the fourth inning to put the run rule in play. “We've wanted to be this good all four years and we're really making it come true. I couldn't be happier or prouder of this team.”
The Tribe (30-11) earned the right to host their TSSAA sectional on Friday against Farragut, the Region 2 runner-up. Morristown West, meanwhile (25-10), travels to face Halls, which defeated Farragut 3-0 in the Region 2 final.
It is the second time the Lady Indians have advanced to sectional play but the first time they will be the home team in that round.
“I feel like it's huge for this team. It's something that we've deserved for three years and this time we finally made it work,” said D-B pitcher Julianne Tipton, who fired a no-hitter against West, her second straight no-no. “The first three years it's been, how can we lose? And this year it's been, nobody can beat us.”
The Tribe has looked mighty tough as of late. After losing 1-0 to Daniel Boone in the championship round of the district tournament, D-B has won the ensuing three games by a combined score of 26-3. The Tribe bested Boone 6-3 in the if-necessary game of the district tournament, then run-ruled Jefferson County and West by identical 10-0 scores.
“It's crazy. They got after it for us,” D-B coach Andy Hubbard said. “The last two games, I don't think we made an error, and we hit the ball.”
Facing a West team that eliminated the Lady Indians in last year’s regional semifinals, D-B started strong and never looked back. The Tribe pushed across four runs on four hits in the first inning. Allie McConnelee and Claudia Maness both had RBI singles in that frame.
“It means a lot to us. A lot. Considering that last year, first round of regionals we came out at Mo West and lost. It's definitely nice to run-rule them this year,” McConnelee said. “We're just putting the bat on the ball really well and we just have the mindset, nobody’s gonna stop us. We're ride or die right now.”
The Lady Indians kept pouring it on. McConnelee lined a double off the center-field wall to plate Hailey Porter in the second inning. D-B scratched across an additional insurance run in the third, with Porter delivering a two-out single to score courtesy runner Kennedy Hatcher. A pair of hit batters – part of five plunkings dealt out to Tribe hitters – set the stage for Dean’s blast in the foirth inning. She belted it over the high wall in straightaway center, and was greeted at home plate by a raucous celebration from the entire D-B team.
“I don't think I’ve ever run that fast after I hit one. I was feeling pretty good,” Dean said.
The offensive parade – 10 runs on eight hits – happened to the delight of a large and spirited D-B crowd. The school offered free admission and free pizza and the student body responded, with a large and vocal student section in attendance.
“It's amazing. We need them every game. It definitely gets us going,” McConnelee said.
McConnelee, Dean, and Porter had two hits apiece for the Tribe. Dean finished with four RBIs and McConnelee had a pair. Tipton reached base safely twice, getting hit by a pitch in each of her first two at-bats with both offerings striking her on the arm.
When asked about getting hit in consecutive at-bats, Tipton only said, “I can tell you that after it happened, on purpose or not on purpose, I was confidently throwing 3 miles an hour harder. Call it whatever you want but at least I was throwing harder.”
A pair of walks provided the only base runners for West; Tipton struck out six, including one swinging to end the game.
That result means yet another home game for a D-B team that was denied some of its scheduled dates at Indian Highland Park due to poor weather earlier this spring.
The Tribe have added some extra dates at Indian Highland Park and now have one more – and it is probably the biggest in the history of the program.
“We've never won the region, we've never hosted a substrate game,” Hubbard said. “Hopefully we can get one more and go to state. That would be a life's dream, right?”
It would be a surprise if anyone other than Tipton was in the circle on Friday with a first-ever trip to the state tournament, and season survival, both at stake.
“It's different when you play with people who you love,” Tipton said. “I would go to the ends of the earth for these girls. I would do absolutely anything for them. They know that and I know that they would do absolutely anything for me.”
Morristown West -- Briony Bunsic and Kaylynn Milton; Dobyns-Bennett -- Julianne Tipton and Riley McMillan. W – Tipton. L – Bunsic. 2B – D-B 1 (Allie McConnelee). HR – D-B 1 (Sophie Dean, 4th, 2 on). RBI – D-B 8 (Dean 4, McConnelee 2, Claudia Maness, Tipton). SH – D-B 1 (McMillan). HBP – D-B 5 (Tipton 2, Catie Zani, McMillan, Dean). LOB – West 2, D-B 4.
The Lady Indians achieved that historic feat in dominant fashion, defeating Morristown West 10-0 in five innings on Wednesday in the Region 1-4A finals at Indian Highland Park.
“It's a crazy feeling and also awesome to be able to make some history and leave our mark on D-B,” said Sophie Dean, who played first base for the Tribe and blasted a three-run home run in the fourth inning to put the run rule in play. “We've wanted to be this good all four years and we're really making it come true. I couldn't be happier or prouder of this team.”
The Tribe (30-11) earned the right to host their TSSAA sectional on Friday against Farragut, the Region 2 runner-up. Morristown West, meanwhile (25-10), travels to face Halls, which defeated Farragut 3-0 in the Region 2 final.
It is the second time the Lady Indians have advanced to sectional play but the first time they will be the home team in that round.
“I feel like it's huge for this team. It's something that we've deserved for three years and this time we finally made it work,” said D-B pitcher Julianne Tipton, who fired a no-hitter against West, her second straight no-no. “The first three years it's been, how can we lose? And this year it's been, nobody can beat us.”
The Tribe has looked mighty tough as of late. After losing 1-0 to Daniel Boone in the championship round of the district tournament, D-B has won the ensuing three games by a combined score of 26-3. The Tribe bested Boone 6-3 in the if-necessary game of the district tournament, then run-ruled Jefferson County and West by identical 10-0 scores.
“It's crazy. They got after it for us,” D-B coach Andy Hubbard said. “The last two games, I don't think we made an error, and we hit the ball.”
Facing a West team that eliminated the Lady Indians in last year’s regional semifinals, D-B started strong and never looked back. The Tribe pushed across four runs on four hits in the first inning. Allie McConnelee and Claudia Maness both had RBI singles in that frame.
“It means a lot to us. A lot. Considering that last year, first round of regionals we came out at Mo West and lost. It's definitely nice to run-rule them this year,” McConnelee said. “We're just putting the bat on the ball really well and we just have the mindset, nobody’s gonna stop us. We're ride or die right now.”
The Lady Indians kept pouring it on. McConnelee lined a double off the center-field wall to plate Hailey Porter in the second inning. D-B scratched across an additional insurance run in the third, with Porter delivering a two-out single to score courtesy runner Kennedy Hatcher. A pair of hit batters – part of five plunkings dealt out to Tribe hitters – set the stage for Dean’s blast in the foirth inning. She belted it over the high wall in straightaway center, and was greeted at home plate by a raucous celebration from the entire D-B team.
“I don't think I’ve ever run that fast after I hit one. I was feeling pretty good,” Dean said.
The offensive parade – 10 runs on eight hits – happened to the delight of a large and spirited D-B crowd. The school offered free admission and free pizza and the student body responded, with a large and vocal student section in attendance.
“It's amazing. We need them every game. It definitely gets us going,” McConnelee said.
McConnelee, Dean, and Porter had two hits apiece for the Tribe. Dean finished with four RBIs and McConnelee had a pair. Tipton reached base safely twice, getting hit by a pitch in each of her first two at-bats with both offerings striking her on the arm.
When asked about getting hit in consecutive at-bats, Tipton only said, “I can tell you that after it happened, on purpose or not on purpose, I was confidently throwing 3 miles an hour harder. Call it whatever you want but at least I was throwing harder.”
A pair of walks provided the only base runners for West; Tipton struck out six, including one swinging to end the game.
That result means yet another home game for a D-B team that was denied some of its scheduled dates at Indian Highland Park due to poor weather earlier this spring.
The Tribe have added some extra dates at Indian Highland Park and now have one more – and it is probably the biggest in the history of the program.
“We've never won the region, we've never hosted a substrate game,” Hubbard said. “Hopefully we can get one more and go to state. That would be a life's dream, right?”
It would be a surprise if anyone other than Tipton was in the circle on Friday with a first-ever trip to the state tournament, and season survival, both at stake.
“It's different when you play with people who you love,” Tipton said. “I would go to the ends of the earth for these girls. I would do absolutely anything for them. They know that and I know that they would do absolutely anything for me.”
Morristown West | 000 | 00 | -- | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Dobyns-Bennett | 421 | 3x | -- | 10 | 8 | 0 |
Morristown West -- Briony Bunsic and Kaylynn Milton; Dobyns-Bennett -- Julianne Tipton and Riley McMillan. W – Tipton. L – Bunsic. 2B – D-B 1 (Allie McConnelee). HR – D-B 1 (Sophie Dean, 4th, 2 on). RBI – D-B 8 (Dean 4, McConnelee 2, Claudia Maness, Tipton). SH – D-B 1 (McMillan). HBP – D-B 5 (Tipton 2, Catie Zani, McMillan, Dean). LOB – West 2, D-B 4.
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