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Tigerettes Top Cavaliers
Baseball

The DeKalb County High School Tigerettes softball team was on the road last week, traveling to Cookeville on Monday to face off against the Cookeville Lady Cavaliers. The game would start off slow for both teams, but DeKalb would have a big late game surge.

The game wouldn’t get going until the bottom of the third inning. With bases loaded a Lady Cavalier took a HBP, scoring one run. Cookeville had taken an easy 1-0 lead before the Tigerettes could get off the field.

At the top of the fourth, DeKalb would finally get on the board. Ally Griffith took first after a HBP, then Morgan Walker singled on a grounder to left field. Bryna Pelham would then sacrifice on a bunt, as Griffith moved to third and Walker to second. Aniston Farler would fly out to the pitcher, then Bri Murphy stepped up to the plate.

On the first pitch, Murphy grounded to fielder’s choice at third and would reach on an error by first base. Walker, then Griffith would score on the error. Madison Martin would then pop out on a fouled to the catcher, but the Tigerettes had taken the lead, 2-1.

The game would move to the top of the seventh before the action would pick back up, when the Tigerettes looked to seal the game shut.

Murphy was up again and would double on a fly to right field. Chloe Lawson would courtesy run for Murphy as Martin was up to bat, and Martin would sacrifice and reach on an error by second base. Lawson would take third.

Raylie Cowan would step up next and would triple on a line drive to center field, as Lawson and Martin touched home plate. The Tigerettes’ big hitter, Jacey Hatfield was up next and would get a triple of her own on a line drive to left.

Later, Griffith was up again. She would sacrifice and reach on an error by the catcher. Harfield would score, then Griffith would touch home on the same error. The Tigerettes had increased the lead, 7-1.

The Lady Cavaliers would try to get things going at the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs, but it was just too much. DeKalb took the 7-3 win.

Kora Kilgore claimed the victory from the circle, surrendering one run on two hits over five innings. She struck out seven. Bri Murphy threw for two innings in relief, getting the last six outs.

Hatfield led the Tigerettes from the plate, with two hits in three at bats.

The following Friday, the Tigerettes were again on the road, this time to Knoxville where they took part in the Gibbs Tournament. The girls would come out on top in the first game, but would struggle through the rest of the tourney.

Their first game in the tournament saw a matchup against the Daniel Boone Lady Blazers. The game would be tight through the first innings, but DeKalb would begin to pull away.

Right off the bat, literally, Jacey Hatfield would put the Tigerettes on the board with a home run on a line drive to left in the first inning.  The Blazers would score one run as they came to bat, tying the game.

At the top of the second inning the Tigerettes’ bats were hot. Bryna Pelham got a double on a grounder to right, then would steal third as Anniston Farler came to bat. Farler would reach with a walk, then Bri Murphy was out at first on a sacrifice to first as Pelham scored.

Madison Martin would take a HBP, then Emma Martin would be caught at first on a sacrifice to center as Farler took third, and Martin second. Hatfield was up again and this time was intentionally walked, loading the bases.

Kennedy Polk walked next, sending Farler home, then Ally Griffith walked sending Madison Martin home. Morgan Walker then stepped up and hit a double on a grounder to center as Hatfield and Polk scored. Pelham was up again, and singled on a line drive to center as Walker and Griffith scored. After that, Farler was up and would hit a single line drive to center sending Pelham home. DeKalb was up, 9-1.

The Blazers were far from out of the game, scoring six points at their next at bat, keeping the game close, 9-7.

As the Tigerettes stepped up to the plate again, they looked to add some distance on the scoreboard. Madison Martin would reach on a grounder and an error by second base, and later Hatfield would single on a ground ball to center. Polk would also reach on a grounder and an error by third, loading the bases.

Griffith was up next and singled on a fly to center, as Martin crossed home, then Walker singled on a grounder to center as Polk and Hatfield crossed the plate. DeKalb would come away with a 12-7 lead.

The Blazers would manage one more run at the bottom of the fourth, but DeKalb would hange on for the 12-8 victory.

Kilgore took the win, surrendering one run on one hit over two innings, striking out four. Murphy started the game, surrendering seven runs on four hits over two innings, walking one.

Later that day the Tigerettes would take on the Alcoa Tornadoes, but the game would not go their way. Alcoa would get on the board first with one run in the bottom of the first, but DeKalb would come roaring back at the top of the second with Pelham, Farler, Raylie Cowan, and Madison Martin each getting a run.

Alcoa would put eight more runs on the board at the bottom of the second, taking a 9-4 lead.

Griffith and Walker would each score after a double by Farler at the top of the third inning, but that would be all DeKalb could muster. The Tornadoes took the 9-6 win.

The Tigerettes would not have any better luck the following day at the tournament, falling to the Anderson County Lady Mavericks 11-5, then falling in a close game against Mt. Juliet, 7-5.