North Shelby Takes Action Packed Softball Game From Knox County Ladies
North Shelby Takes Action Packed Softball Game From Knox County Ladies
By David Sharp
North Shelby took over a September 13 Tri-Rivers Conference softball game at Knox County during the final four innings and posted an 8-3 victory. The contest was filled with entertaining, but sometimes sloppy play from both sides.
Mistie Miller reached base on a Knox County error in the first inning. The Lady Eagles kept the North Shelby all-stater on third base with no scoring.
Myra Parrish blasted a leadoff single in the KCHS first inning. Hannah Dale reached base on an error putting Knox County runners on second and third base with none out.
Mistie Miller tried to pick Myra Parrish off third base from her catching position. The throw hit Knox County batter Brittany Miller on the helmet and sailed all the way to the left field corner. One run scored on the play. Brittany Miller grounded to Olivia Ahern at shortstop for the first out. Hannah Dale scored, giving Miller an RBI and the Lady Eagles a 2-0 lead.
Jillian Yoder doubled with two down in the Lady Raider second inning. Olivia Ahern executed a slap bunt, which was not handled by the KCHS infield for an error. Robin Bichsel slapped an hit down the third base line.
Mistie Miller stroked an RBI single Knox County outfielder Bobi Jo Goodrich and third baseman Myra Parrish collided on the play. Parrish recovered the softball and threw to Brittany Miller covering third base for the final out. North Shelby (6-4, 1-3) tied the game at two all after two innings.
Bobi Jo Goodrich led off the Lady Eagle second with a hit and stole second base. North Shelby held defensively, stranding Goodrich on third base.
Mariah Jones led off the Lady Raider third inning with a single. Elizabeth Hudson sacrificed the runner to second base. Jones moved to third on a wild pitch and later scored on an error for a 3-2 Lady Raider edge.
Knox County (6-6, 2-2) manufactured a run in their third inning, knotting the score at three. Hannah Dale drew a leadoff walk. The Knox County freshman moved to second base and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Lorrie Peters singled and Holly Kite drew a two out walk. The runners advanced on another wild pitch. Jillian Yoder induced a ground ball for the final out, stranding Knox County runners on second and third base.
An error and consecutive base hits by Olivia Ahern and Robin Bichsel loaded the bases with none out. Mistie Miller earned an RBI the hard way when she was struck by a Brittany Miller pitch. Olivia Ahern scored a North Shelby run on a wild pitch. The Lady Eagles played better defense, stranding two runners but trailed 5-3 after three and a half innings.
Jillian Yoder struck out the side during the KCHS fourth inning. Janna Werr reached on a Knox County error but was stranded on third base in the North Shelby fifth inning. Mariah Jones robbed Brittany Miller of a probable extra base hit with a nice catch in left field during a scoreless fifth inning.
Robin Bichsel walked leading off the Lady Raider sixth inning. Mistie Miller reached on a fielder’s choice. Elizabeth Hudson hit a towering home run over the left field fence for two more North Shelby runs and a 7-3 lead.
Anecia Miller doubled and later scored on Jessica Linberger’s RBI ground out. Jillian Yoder slammed a seventh inning double but was stranded on third base.
Knox County put two runners on base during the sixth inning but could not score. Jillian Yoder struck out two of the last three Knox County batters preserving the 8-3 win.
“It wasn’t a pretty ball game to start out with by any means,” said North Shelby hall of fame softball coach Angie Resa. “We knew coming in that Knox County was about the same softball team as we were. Our girls just didn’t want to lose.”
Jillian Yoder went 2-4 at bat with two Lady Raider runs scored. Robin Bichsel was 2-3 for North Shelby. Olivia Ahern had a hit and scored two North Shelby runs.
The Lady Raiders scored eight runs on nine hits and three errors. Jillian Yoder struck out ten batters with two walks in seven innings pitched for the victory.
Knox County scored three times on four hits and had nine errors unofficially. Brittany Miller fanned six batters with no walks and two wild pitches. One of the North Shelby runs was earned by unofficial scoring. Lorrie Peters went 2-3 at the plate leading the KCHS offense.
“When you make errors a team with speed is going to capitalize,” said Knox County coach Stephanie Crawford. “This was the old Knox County softball team. We have to get past that. The way we came out, it looked like it was going to be a fun game.”
“It looked like we were going to play well. When they capitalized on those mistakes we made and scored the two runs to tie it, it was like the air just went out of us. We played like we were down 10-0 instead of tied at 2-2. We have to learn to overcome that swing in momentum and bring it back their way.”
“We have been doing a good job of competing with teams in close ball games,” said Crawford. “Most of the time we come out on top of close ball games. We just got defeated today.”
