CLEVELAND, Tenn. — The Bradley Central Bearettes improved to 2-0 in District 5-4A softball Tuesday with a convincing 10-1 win over visiting Ooltewah Tuesday at Bob McKenzie Field at BCHS.
“I think we played a really good game today. My pitchers came out ready to throw,” said Bearettes head coach Hallie Geren.
It was the first meeting of the season between former Walker Valley stars Geren and Ooltewah head coach Rachel Percy, who both played middle infield for the Lady Mustangs during their high school careers.
The Bearettes (3-2, 2-0) scored in every inning in support of a trio of pitchers who held the Lady Owls to a single hit over the course of the game. Emily Hines started in the circle for Bradley and tossed three innings giving up one hit and one run. Klaire Hall took over over for Hines and fanned four before Kaylee Callahan came on to finish up striking out four Lady Owls (1-9, 1-4).
The Bearettes scores 10 runs on 11 hits and were one out away from shutting the Lady Owls down in the bottom half of the sixth inning.
“That one more run. I felt like every inning it was just one more run that we needed,” said Geren.
The first Bradley run came in the bottom of the first when Bailey Lockhart doubled down the left-field line behind a single off the bat of Brylee Cisco
Bradley made it 2-0 without the benefit of a hit in the second inning when Tinley Cumming reached on a walk and later scored on a throwing error by Ooltewah.
The Lady Owls put up their lone run in the top of the third on a Bradley error and single off the bat of Kaylee Wilson.
Runs three and four came in the lower portion of the third. Macy Chastain reached on an infield single and trotted home when Cisco laced a triple to left. Cisco made it 4-1 scoring on a ground ball to shortstop.
The Bearettes added three more in the fourth as Miley Broom singled to left. Cumming followed with a walk and both runner moved up on stolen bases. Alliyssia Herbold stepped up to the plate and ripped a double to right field scoring Broom and Cumming. Herbold made it 7-1 racing home on a ball hit by Cisco.
Bradley tacked on one more in the fifth on a single by Cumming that scored Bella McClary, who reached on a one out single.
The Bearettes capped the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Cisco reached on a her second triple of the day. She made it 9-1 scoring on an Owl error that put Bailey Lockhart on first. Lockhart upped the margin to 10-1 when Lynlee Hodge belted a double to left-center field.
Reliever Callahan fanned the side in the top of the seventh to cap the win.
“My hitters definitely had to adjust from yesterday's pitching (against Silverdale) to today's pitching. It's just a lot of different styles” said Geren. “Overall, they did a really good job. They came out, they played their game. We're really proud of them and their performance.”
The Bearettes return to action again in Athens at McMinn County at 5:30 p.m., Thursday.
“I feel really good about the season so far,” Geren said. “Yesterday, we played No. 5 in the state, Silverdale, and we played a really good game with them. We clean up one or two errors over here and one or two calls go our way and we get one or two more hits, we beat them all say long. They are a good team, they are a great team. We took opportunities whenever we got them and they did the same thing. But, I feel like we are going to do very well this year because my girls are in it to win it and that's the bottom line. They are here to make it this year.”
Ooltewah 001 000 0 — 1 1 3
Bradley Central 112 312 x — 10 11 2
WP: Emily Hines LP: Zoe Cates 3B: Bryle Cisco 2 (BC); 2 B Lynlee Hodge, Alliyssia Herbold, Bailey Lockhart (BC). HIGHLIGHTS: Kaylee Wilson 1-2 (O); Macy Chastain 2-4 RS, Cisco 3-4 3RS 2RBI, Lockhart RS RBI, Lynlee Hodge RBI, Bella McClarry RS, Tinley Cumming 2-3 2RS RBI, Herbold RS 2RBI (BC). RECORDS: Ooltewah 1-9, 1-4; Bradley Central 3-2, 2-0.