Watkins prevails in pitcher’s duel for Lady ‘Canes
DECATUR, Tenn. — Ashlyn Watkins and the rest of East Hamilton High School’s softball team have complete faith in senior centerfielder and left-handed hitter Reese Knox to get the job done.
Knox kept her 39-game hit streak working as the Lady Hurricanes’ leadoff hitter sparked a sixth inning rally to help lead Wednesday’s 1-0 road victory over Meigs County.
After a single up the middle by Gabi Printup to start the top of the sixth, Knox was ready for another go against ace Lainey Fitzgerald, who had retired her on groundouts to the left side of the infield in their first two showdowns.
Knox showed off her pop by lacing a double over the center fielder’s head, which set Bailey Poschke up to drive in the go-ahead run on a groundout to second base.
That was all the run support Watkins needed in the circle. The junior dominated from the start as she struck out the first four batters she faced on her way to a three-hit shutout, with 59 of her 75 pitches going for strikes. She struck out eight and walked no one.
“Reese is just ready all the time,” Watkins said. “She is locked in mentally and physically and is that way because of all the hard work she puts in. Without a doubt Reese is one of the most talented people I have seen on the field.”
In her fifth year as a varsity starter for the Lady ‘Canes, Knox has begun tapping into her power this season. The Eastern Kentucky University signee has 18 extra base hits out of her 41 hits and is batting .672 with 46 runs scored while drawing 13 walks compared to just one strikeout. In the past few weeks she has also launched the first two home runs of her prep career.
“That kid works as hard as anyone,” East Hamilton head softball coach Norma Nelson said. “She is going to get on. One of the things I always tell her, ‘You go, we go.’ If she goes, we are pretty much going to win because she makes so many things happen with that speed and her bat.”
Knox covers plenty of ground defensively in centerfield and has 36 stolen bases this season. As a junior she hit .645 with 24 of her 78 hits going for extra bases while stealing 48 bags in 40 games. After Wednesday’s win she had nothing but good things to say about her pitcher’s outing.
“Ashlyn made it look easy from the circle today,” Knox said. “She was hitting her spots and really executing all of her pitches. Even though I got out my first two at-bats, I was comfortable at the plate. I have really gotten in the groove and I always want to come through for my team when I can.”
East Hamilton (18-4) was up for the challenge Wednesday against Meigs’ ace Fitzgerald. The junior propelled the Lady Tigers (13-7) to the Class 2A state tournament last season and recently committed to Tennessee Tech.
Fitzgerald struck out eight and allowed five hits with no walks while going the distance Wednesday and now has 123 strikeouts over 69 innings this season in to go with a 0.71 earned run average (seven earned runs). All three of her losses this season have come by one run.