Sequatchie County rallies for 7-AA title

JASPER, Tenn. — Standing a few feet away from her teammates — who were still jumping up and down celebrating their come-from-behind win — Sequatchie County sophomore pitcher MacKenzie Turner was honest when she was asked about the emotions of the moment.

“It’s great. But really I just want to eat and go to bed and sleep,” said the sophomore who had pitched both games of Monday evening’s District 7-AA finals, after a weekend in which she had pitched three games.

“I’m pretty tired.” Despite losing all four previous meetings with Marion County this season, Turner and her Lady Indians teammates — needing to win two games Monday to claim the district championship — did just that, taking the first game 5-4, then rallying for a 9-8, eight-inning win for the title.

“I was really nervous in our last at-bat,” Turner admitted. “I didn’t want to have to go back out and pitch another inning. I was really glad we went ahead and got it done.”

Sequatchie County got it done by scoring two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Turner’s RBI single tied the game, and senior Hannah Knight’s hardhit grounder to second was misplayed and allowed Jesyca Dennis, who had singled, to score the winning run.

“We lost a nine-inning heartbreaker to Marion on Saturday, but I think that game proved to our girls that we could play with them,” Lady Indians coach Kelly Somerville said. “We came in today with the mentality that we had nothing to lose. We were just going to have fun and play hard and see what happened.

“MacKenzie is tough as nails, and she proved that with two gutsy games today. She’ll just keep grinding through and find a way for us, and that’s something you don’t coach. She just has that natural competitiveness in her.”