Tori Barnes of East Hamilton slams a two-run homer in the fifth inning of Tuesday's District 5-3A softball game against Soddy-Daisy. The Lady Trojans scored six runs in the first two innings and went on to win and stay in second place in the district behind Ooltewah.
photo by Dennis Norwood
Soddy-Daisy got off to a quick five-run lead.
East Hamilton pitcher Sydney Rogers quieted the Lady Trojans bats – her defense helped with three double plays – and the Lady Hurricanes pulled within 6-4 with a three-run fifth inning highlighted by Tori Barnes’ two-run homer.
“We were still up by two runs,” said Soddy-Daisy relief pitcher Shonna Penney, who came on after Barnes’ homer to left field. “I just needed to throw strikes and trust my catcher (Cameren Swafford). She had been in the game and knew the hitters. I’ve faced them before, so we all knew what we had to do.”
Soddy-Daisy coach Wes Skiles watched starter Jordan Woodward give up a leadoff double to Savannah Daniel and Avery Dean collect a single starting East Hamilton’s fifth inning.
Skiles went to the circle, talked to his pitcher for several minutes and then walked back to the dugout.
Daniel and Dean pulled off a double steal with the Daniel scoring from third and Barnes followed with the two-run homer, her fourth of the season.
“That was my fault,” Skiles said. “I went out there with the intention of taking Jordan out and I should have gone with feeling, but I had confidence in her. I’ll take the blame for that.”
Skiles pulled Woodward on his second trip to the circle and brought in Penney to silence the Lady Hurricanes’ bats.
Penney, a veteran starter/reliever, retired Alyssa Strickler on a groundout, gave up a single to Tori Harris and then got Rogers on a fly-out to center and struck out Alex Kouvarakis to end the inning.
Penney gave up a two-out single in the sixth, but a fielder’s choice ended that mild threat. She retired the side in order in the seventh to end the game.
“We’ve always had two pitchers that we could go back and forth with starting and relieving,” Skiles said. “Last year it was Emily (Edwards) and Shonna. This year it’s Jordan and Shonna. They do a great job working together.”
The win gives Soddy-Daisy a 17-4 overall record and 7-1 district record.
Ooltewah, which beat the Lady Trojans, 8-1, on April 13, completed a regular-season sweep of Walker Valley on Tuesday with an 8-0 victory.
The Lady Owls are 28-4 overall and 8-0 in the district. Soddy-Daisy has won three in a row since its loss to Ooltewah.
The Lady Trojans were swinging hot bats from the moment they got to the ballpark.
Shortstop Alexis Trimiar singled – she went 4 for 5, scored twice and drove in two runs – and with one out Swafford doubled to left. Trimiar scored on a wild pitch and Emilee Dent, running for Swafford, scored on Grayson Brown’s hit to center.
Woodward started Soddy-Daisy’s second inning with a double and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Courtney Daughtrey, who was safe at first when the infield throw to third was too late to get Kaylin Fugatt, who was running for Woodward.
Trimiar’s double produced one run, Swafford’s single plated Daughtrey, Trimiar scored on a fielder’s choice and Dent crossed the plate on Macy Bryant’s single.
The inning ended when Haley Harvey lined into a double play.
East Hamilton (13-17, 5-4) also thwarted scoring chances by Soddy-Daisy with double plays in the third and fourth innings.
“Getting off to a quick start is always good against a great team because it gives you momentum,” Skiles said. “We hit the ball hard even when we didn’t score. We were aggressive on the bases and that kind of haunted us with their three double plays. I’m not going to fault us for being aggressive though.”
Soddy-Daisy’s final run came in the seventh when Daughtrey singled, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Trimiar’s clutch single up the middle.
“I don’t think I’ve had four hits in a game this year,” Trimiar said.
Against the Lady Hurricanes, she had three singles and a double. The only time Rogers, who went the distance, kept her off the bases was when she lined out to third to start East Hamilton’s second double play.
“Alexis is a great player,” Skiles said. “She’s a very humble player. She just goes out there and plays without seeking recognition. She’d be embarrassed if she knew I was talking about her. Alexis just does her job.”
Swafford went 3 for 4 and drove in two runs to aid the Lady Trojans’ punishing 17-hit attack. Brown, Harvey and Woodward all had two hits in four at-bats. Brown also had two RBIs.
Leadoff batter Savannah Daniel had three of East Hamilton’s 10 hits, including a double and scored twice. Barnes was 2 for 4 with three RBIs.
The top three in the Lady ‘Canes’ lineup – Daniel, Dean and Barnes – combined to go 6 for 11 with three RBIs and four runs scored.
Still, it was hard to get around the fact East Hamilton trailed by five runs after just two innings.
“I take responsibility for that,” Lady ‘Canes coach Norma Nelson said. “We have to change something up even if I have to make them run wind sprints, kick them in the butt, whatever. We have to come out ready to play.
“At Soddy the other day, we give up three runs early to them. You can’t do that against good teams. The thing about this team is they came back, played hard and played good defense. We just can’t get in a hole like that to begin with.”
Said Barnes, “When we were down 6-1 we just had to stay (mentally) up. We’re a team that can come back and win games. We almost did it against Ooltewah (a 6-5 loss) and we got back in the game today. We’re capable of doing that.”
Ooltewah 8, Walker Valley 0: Kayla Boseman fired a two-hit shutout at the Lady Mustangs and helped her own cause with two hits, including a double, and four RBIs.
Shelby Sutton went 3 for 4 with two doubles, scored twice and drove in two runs as the Lady Owls, who have won 19 of their last 20 games, the lone loss a 12-3 decision in the Gold championship of the Ooltewah Invitational on April 2.
Marissa Forrester was 2 for 3 with a run scored and Aubie Collake was 2 for 4 with a double and one RBI.
Boxscores
Soddy-Daisy 240 000 1 – 7 17 1
East Hamilton 100 030 0 – 4 10 1
Woodward, Penney (5) and Swafford; Rogers and Dean.
Ooltewah 053 000 0 – 8 12 0
Walker Valley 000 000 0 – 0 2 0
Boseman and Forrester; Sowder and Suits.
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)
Soddy-Daisy third baseman Grayson Brown smacked two singles and drove in two runs in the Lady Trojans' 7-4 victory over East Hamilton in District 5-3A softball action on Tuesday at East Hamilton.
photo by Dennis Norwood