The Red Bank Invitational softball tournament is in the book after the last three games of the Round Robin event were played at the Mandi Green Munn Field Saturday.
With only four teams involved this year, there was no official champion crowned, but just a chance for all four teams to play three games.
Central’s Lady Purple Pounders won two games on Friday and added a third on Saturday to finish as the only team with three wins.
The Sequatchie County Lady Indians lost to Central on Friday, but bounced back in a big way to win their final two games on Saturday.
Saturday’s games had Central beating Signal Mountain, 13-2, in the first game while Sequatchie followed with a 16-6 win over Red Bank and a 13-6 victory over Signal in the last one.
Sequatchie County coach Kelly Somerville wasn’t really happy following Friday’s 7-1 setback against Central, but she was feeling much better Saturday after her team got their bats out of storage and basically had a glorified batting practice as they scored 19 runs in their last two games.
“We were fired up and ready to play in that first inning, but an inning like that takes all the pressure off the pitcher and the defense,” she said after team sent 15 batters to the plate in the first inning against the Lady Eagles and took complete charge with 11 runs.
“We played hard today, but we came here this morning determined to win some softball games. These girls are all hot and tired, but we needed to see some live pitching as we get ready for the district tournament.
“We had some of our younger girls step up and that was good, but I’m really proud of our effort. It has been a good day for us,” she said after her team improved to 17-7 with Saturday’s wins.
It’s been a learning experience from the beginning for Signal’s first year coach Kristen Mazza, but she was all smiles too when the last pitch had been thrown.
“We didn’t’ win that last game, but we stayed up the whole time and remained upbeat,” she began while her team was picking up equipment and trash following the game.
“We have a bunch of young kids as we had six freshmen on the field at one point today, but they can hit and we hit some hard balls today. I’m hoping we’ll find the gap next time, but the Sequatchie County third baseman made some great plays,” Mazza said in praise of Haley Frizzell, who had two outstanding plays in the final inning to keep the Lady Eagles from scoring again.
“These kids give me their all every time we play, but we needed some reps this weekend and that’s why it was important that we play here. Everybody got to play and this was a really good workout before the tournament begins,” she said, knowing that her team will host the 6-AAA tournament that begins on Friday.
Siera Ellis walked and went to second on a wild pitch to start the action for Signal Mountain in the first inning before scoring on a double by Sarah Corn.
Mary Rivas Stanley singled before Leighann Caracci bunted to load the bases with nobody out, but Sequatchie County pitcher Lyla Houk didn’t bat and eye and struck out the next three to leave the bases loaded.
The Lady Indians had an inning to remember in their half of the first as the first eight batters reached with three doubles, two singles, two walks and a hit batter.
Grace Kelly got the scoring started with a two-run double while Frizzell later had a double that drove in three runs. Jalyn Kelly also had a big two-run single to right to conclude the scoring.
Corn, who had three hits on the day for the Lady Eagles, had a two-run double in the second while Caracci drove in another run with a single to left.
Lexie Hall and Kelly both had RBI-singles in the fourth to wrap up the scoring.
Hall finished the second game with three hits while Ainsley Pickett, Grace Kelly, Jalyn Kelly and Amelia Casey all had two hits each for the Lady Indians.
Corn had three hits to lead Signal Mountain while Caracci had two.
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN 141 0 – 6 7 1
SEQUATCHIE COUNTY (11)02 x – 13 13 3
Ellis, Collier (1) and Dodson; Houk and Hall.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)