| SF, Lady Twisters in regular spots | By: By MIKE HUTCHENS, Messenger Sports Editor
| Posted: Monday, May 9, 2011 5:53 pm
| 
South Fulton’s Macy Maxwell runs to first to record an out on Saturday. | | | South Fulton and Union City are right where they’re accustomed to being at this juncture of the District 14A softball tournament.
Thd Devilettes and Lady Tornadoes — who’ve finished 1-2 in the tourney in three of the past four seasons — both advanced to the winner’s bracket final over the weekend and are the only two unbeatens in the double-elimination tournament being played at Union City’s Graham Park.
SF, the District 14 or 15 champion in 12 of the last 13 seasons and a perennial West Tennessee power during that span, shut out Trenton 6-0 Saturday to move within one more victory of another tourney championship game berth and a ticket to the regionals.
UC, meanwhile, won twice to reach the same juncture, beating Greenfield 10-0 on Friday afternoon and upsetting Halls 4-2 in eigth innings Saturday evening.
The Lady Twisters, a bridesmaid to South Fulton over the last few years while establishing some respectabilty in the program, will be trying to beat the Big Red for the first time in four meetings this year when they sqaure off Tuesday night at 7.
Two loser’s bracket games are on tap today with Greenfield and Trenton meeting at 5 and Humboldt playing Halls at 7 with their respective tournament livelihoods at stake.
The tournament championship round will begin Thursday at 7, with a second game — if needed — to be played at 5 on Friday.
SATURDAY
SF 6, Trenton 0
Haley McKinney faced the minimum 18 batters through six innings, giving up just a fourth inning single while completely shutting down the Peabody offense.
McKinney stuck out nine in improving to 14-3 on the campaign.
Macy Maxwell cracked a two-run homer — her fifth of the season — to account for the Devilettes’ big blow offensively.
Marina Barclay and Jennifer Allen both had doubles, and Kaci Daugherty went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored for South Fulton.
Desiray Sturgeon crossed the plate twice and swiped a pair of bases.
The victory was No. 301 in the 13-year tenure of South Fulton head coach Curt Lee.
Lee, who achieved a milestone on win vs. Union City last week, is now 301-88-1 (.772) with six state tournament appearances during his time at the Devilette helm.
SF will take a 21-6 record into Tuesday’s game with Union City and has shut out the Lady Tornadoes in two of the three previous earlier meetings this spring.
UC 4, Halls 2 (8)
The Lady Tornadoes (19-13) avenged a pair of regular season losses to Halls in a game that was halted for around 30 minutes in the top of the fifth when Lady Tiger centerfielder Taylor Jacobs suffered a concussion while diving for Betty Claire Beachum’s bloop hit and colliding with the knee of shortstop Kelsey Layne.
Layne was eventually taken via ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City, where she was reportedly treated for a concussion and released from doctor’s care.
After UC’s Sadie Hollis and Hannah Jackson scored on Beachum’s pinch-hit to knot the count at 2, the Twisters won the game in the first extra inning when freshman Brittany Parker smacked a RBI single to left that plated Kaitlyn Wheeles.
Wheeles had reached on an infield hit, stole second and went to third on a ground out.
Hollis then gave herself a little breathing room when she blooped a ball to rightfield that ended up going for a triple and chasing home Parker.
Hollis (12-8) was truly masterful on the mound with her best effort of the year against quality competition.
The sophomore righthander gave up just one hit and both Halls’ runs were unearned.
She struck out seven and issued but one walk during the triumph.
Ellen Bearden had two singles as the only UC player with more than one safety.
FRIDAY
UC 10, Greenfield 0
Parker twirled a no-hitter for her seventh pitching victory of the year as the Tornadoes mercy-ruled G’field.
The freshman hurler fanned eight and walked only one.
Wheeles, Hollis, Bearden and Taylor Hargrove all had two singles for the victors, while teammate Angela Chesteen doubled and singled.
Union City was aided by seven Lady Yellowjacket errors. | | | | |
