Meigs, Sale Creek, Whitwell still alive
Nothing can subtract the lone digit on the end of Ashley Rogers’ pitching record this softball season.
But given the opportunity to avenge that loss, the University of Tennessee-bound right-hander may have had a little more on her fastball than usual in Meigs County’s Class AA state tournament game Wednesday at Starplex.
Rogers gave up an earned run for just the third time this year, but 18 of the batters she retired came via strikeouts, she issued no walks and the Lady Tigers are in the winners-bracket final after defeating Kingston 9-1.
Meigs (32-3) will play Gibbs today at 6:30 p.m. EDT at Starplex’s No. 2 field.
Rogers lost her perfect game on a two-out single in the first inning, but she allowed four consecutive hits and Kingston’s run in the sixth. In between, she had a stretch of 11 consecutive strikeouts.
Meigs County coach Jeff Davis said the chance at payback was part of her motivation.
“I think a couple of things on social media had something to do with it, too,” he added.
While the Lady Yellow Jackets scuffled putting the ball in play, the Lady Tigers didn’t. They managed six hits as Kingston committed nine errors.
“They made a few mistakes, and I think we capitalized on about every one of them,” Davis said. “That good old hard Meigs County pitcher Ashley Rogers starts her windup. The senior struck out 18 in the win.
infield.”
For Meigs, No. 9 hitter Kassidy Kenny and leadoff batter Arika Reed were a combined 5-for-7 with four runs. Kenny doubled twice, and Reed hit a two-RBI triple in a four-run fourth.
› Sale Creek 3, Unaka 0: In Class A, Sale Creek got going early with Macie Stanfield doubling in two runs with none out in the first inning. Madison Stott (13-2) took over from there for the Lady Panthers (355), pitching a four-hitter with two walks and six strikeouts.
Sale Creek will face Summertown in today’s winners-bracket final at 6:30 p.m. EDT at Starplex’s No. 4 field.
Lady Panthers coach Clifford Kirk said it’s a concern to see his team “get two or three runs and just take it easy the rest of the game.” But with two stout pitchers, Stanfield (17-3)
being the other, he’ll live with it as long as the defense “makes the plays they’re supposed to make.”
Stanfield and Hannah Hall were each 2-for-4 for the Lady Panthers. Hall scored two of the runs.
“They drive me about half crazy,” Kirk said, “but when they get in there and play, they play hard.”
› Whitwell 8, South Fulton 0: All of the first-inning runs in the Class A losers-bracket game came as a result of Caitlin Rollins’ grand slam, although the first six Lady Tigers reached safely.
Rollins picked up her fifth RBI of the game on a walk in the sixth, and Raylon Smith then cleared the bases with a double. Maddie Jordan went 3-for-4 and scored twice, and winning pitcher Anna Yell threw a three-hitter with no walks and five strikeouts.
“It was do or die, and they knew it,” Whitwell coach Rebecca Castle said. “We had to come out and swing the bats and get the win or go home, and none of our girls are ready to go home yet. If we didn’t get it done, we wouldn’t get another chance to play in this dirt. I think everybody took that to heart.
“Everybody hit it today. We got big hits up and down the lineup, and we’ll need to keep that going.”
Whitwell (22-16) plays Unaka at 11 EDT this morning at Starplex’s No. 4 field.
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.