By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
CEDAR BLUFF – The Cherokee County Lady Warriors were seeking their third straight county softball title and fourth in five seasons on Saturday, but with plenty of new faces on this year’s varsity team, including first-year head coach Jessica Rathje Hull.
But one familiar face the Lady Warriors return is junior pitcher Emma Hill.
Hill turned in her usual dominating performance in the circle on Saturday. She tossed a one-hitter and struck out 12 Spring Garden batters in an 8-1 victory.
“We played them Friday night and we already had a good idea of how they were,” Hill said. “The top of their lineup is pretty strong. They’re all pretty good hitters. I just had to figure things out and trust my defense.”
“Our goal for this year is to not let Emma stress. We want her to relax and throw with a lead,” Hull said. “We’ve really worked with our lineup. We’re on them all the time about backing each other up.”
However, Hill was faced with a bit of early adversity. Spring Garden (2-3) scored a first-inning run. Leadoff batter Avery Steward reached on an error at third, stole two bases and scored on Maggie Jarrett’s single to center.
“I was proud of them jumping out on them right there and saying ‘Hey, we’re here for a battle,’” Spring Garden coach Ann Welsh said. “I think Avery stole a couple of bases there. We’ve tried to be a little more aggressive base running. We’ve got some speed and we’re trying to use that.”
But the Lady Panther lead was short-lived.
Cherokee County (9-1) sent 10 batters to the plate against Spring Garden pitcher Lilly McCain and scored five runs. Journie Cabe, Hill and Auburn Mullins had the big hits of the inning. Cabe and Hill had run-scoring singles while Mullins delivered a two-run double to right.
The five-run first proved to be more than enough run support for Hill, but the Lady Warriors added two runs in the third and Mullins homered to center in the fifth for the final.
Mullins, Cherokee County’s nine-hole hitter, led the Lady Warriors at the plate. She went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
“That’s the reason she’s down there. She produces in the nine hole and gets us back around to the top,” Hill said. “She knows that’s her job and she does it very well.”
“I used to have a really bad problem with trusting myself, but now I think my confidence has gotten a lot better,” Mullins said. “I’m trusting myself and attacking.”
Bristol Bass was 2-for-3 and Brooklynn Bruce went 2-for-4 with a RBI for the Lady Warriors. Sydni Frost singled and walked twice. Sofie Dawson delivered a single, a walk and a RBI.
“I think this group realizes they have all the potential and more to be just as successful as the group that just left,” Hull said. “They want to uphold the standard and keep Cherokee County softball a winning program. They know where the standard is and they meet that every day.”
McCain suffered the loss for Spring Garden. She tossed 2 2/3 innings and gave up seven runs on seven hits with four walks and a strikeout before being relieved by Addie Word. Word worked the final 3 1/3 innings, giving up just one run on four hits with no walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Spring Garden reached the county title game with a 5-4 victory over Cedar Bluff in six innings on Saturday morning. In that game, Jarrett delivered a double, drove in a run and scored a run. Paisley Woodall had a two-run single and a walk. Steward earned the win after working six innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
Paityn Walker tripled and Logan Goza singled for the only two Lady Tiger hits. Rylie Walker walked twice and scored a run. Mackenzie Kimmons suffered the loss.
“Our games this week have been our practice (since basketball season ended), and I was proud we made it back (to the county championship game),” Welsh said. “I want them to be challenged as much as they can. I feel like we have the potential to go pretty far this year. Every tournament I’d like to be in that championship game, getting that experience of what that’s like after a hard fought day of softball.”
