Grainger High School, May 14-
Claiborne High School traveled to Grainger High School to play in the program’s first ever 2021 District Championship game. Their opponent was the Lady Green Devils from Greeneville, a team they defeated 1-0 earlier in the week.
To start the game Gretchen Jones tripled and Hannah Fugate got the game’s first RBI; however, Greeneville was able to produce five runs in the bottom of the first.
Claiborne had base runners in the second but couldn’t get them moved on around but in the bottom of the second Claiborne had settled down in the field and didn’t allow the Green Devils to cross the plate once.
The Lady Bulldogs started the third with one out before back-to-back doubles by Fugate and Myatt scored a run. Lillie Cox found the base pad with an error that scored Myatt. Allie Jones doubled and Claiborne had the Green Devils on the ropes. Maddison Lynch singled scoring the tying run but was erased at second.
With the game tied at five, Greeneville came up to bat in the bottom of the third. The Lady Bulldogs got three quick outs in the Greeneville bottom half. The game was still tied at five.
Claiborne went to bat in the fourth Katie Combs and MacKenzie Cowell was on the base pads with Gretchen Jones at bat. She hit into fielder’s choice scoring Combs, 6-5 Claiborne.
Fugate then stepped in the box with one out and took one for the team off the shoulder. Myatt was next with two on base and one out but she lifted one foul for the second out and Cox hit a hard grounder for the final out but Claiborne led 6-5. They left two on base.
The Lady Green Devils didn’t put any runs on the board during the bottom of the fourth and Claiborne stepped in the box looking for more. Allie Jones reached first on a walk and Maddie Lynch popped up the first out. Combs then reached with a seeing eye single up the middle with two outs scoring Buis, 7-5 Lady Bulldogs. Cowell reached by base on balls and Gretchen Jones stepped into the box. G-Money hit an inside the park homerun and the scoreboard read 10-5.
Greeneville in the bottom of the inning had two on and no outs. Greeneville #21 hit a three-run homerun over the centerfield fence. The Claiborne defense made a couple nice plays including a diving tag out at third on a run down but the Green Devils had battled back to within one run, 10-9.
Claiborne left two on the base pads in the top of the sixth and Greeneville got the lead off hitter on base in the bottom half. They plated two quick runs to take the lead, 11-10. Fugate made a leaping catch in center for the third out.
Down 11-10, Claiborne had to manufacture a run in the top of the seventh but failed and victory had slipped through their hands.
Coach Justin Cox had this to say after the game, “I feel like we left a win on the field tonight, I feel like we were the better team, I really do but we had too many bad errors and that’s the difference.”
Claiborne will have one last chance to win the championship Saturday, May 15 at Greeneville. Game time is tentatively scheduled for 10:00 a.m..
By Allen Earl
The Zone
Gretchen Jones Homerun Video by Allen Earl
