The Whitwell softball team, down three runs in the third inning, began a comeback in the fourth and defeated the Lady Chargers of Chattanooga Christian 7-4 in both teams' district opener Tuesday at CCS.
Freshman Amber Webb earned the win for Whitwell.
“The girls did a great job,” Whitwell head coach Nichole Henry said. “They picked themselves up after a slow start. We came out slow on Monday too, but they didn’t give up.”
CCS scored two runs in their first at bat and added one in the third to take a 3-0 lead.
CCS, who is starting three eighth graders this year including pitcher Jennifer Long, allowed two runs in the fourth as the Lady Tigers inched themselves back in the game.
Whitwell scored two more in the fifth and one in the sixth taking a 5-3 lead.
CCS scored one in the bottom of the sixth, giving them new life.
Whitwell’s Jennifer Reynolds, who finished 3-4, hit a two run homer in the top of the seventh to give Whitwell a 7-4 lead. Whitwell closed out the bottom of the seventh by getting three outs, giving CCS their first district loss.
“This is a hard loss,” CCS head coach Jennifer Redman said after the game. “But the girls fought back and didn’t give up. We have a promising future with all these young girls.”
Redman has two seniors on the team, one junior and the rest are sophomores or freshman along with the three 8th graders. Redman, who prepped at Baylor, is in her first year as head coach of the Lady Chargers.
The young Lady Chargers shined with 8th grader Laura Curtis going 3-4 with two doubles and two RBI’s. Long, who allowed eight runs and struck out three, was 2-4 from the plate.
Whitwell’s Katie Hubbard was 2-3 from the plate. Webb struck out three and allowed three hits.
LINESCORE
Whitwell..0 0 0 2 2 1 2 – 7
CCS.......2 0 1 0 0 0 1 – 4
Pitchers-
Whitwell: Webb; CCS: Long
CCS's Katie Brown puts the ball in play.
- Photo2 by Greg Davick