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Spencer’s Emily Daniels hands off to 4x800 teammate Destinee Starcher in the Roane County Middle School Championships. |
Spencer must be home away from home for Ritchie County’s softball team.
The Rebels, fresh off beating Roane County to win the LKC title the previous week, got by the host Lady Raiders 8-5 Thursday to win the sectional championship.
The loss ended Roane’s season at 22-11, the most wins in school history. Ritchie advanced to a regional semifinal game today (Thursday), again in Spencer.
Despite playing at home, the Lady Raiders were the visitors on the scoreboard and struck with a run in the first. Ritchie countered with three of its own in the bottom of the frame and never lost the lead.
The score was 7-2 before a three-run sixth brought the Lady Raiders closer. Ritchie added a final tally in the bottom of the sixth.
Kelsey Clark scattered nine hits and struck out nine to earn the victory. Heather Flanigan was 3-for-3 and Kasey Hilvers knocked in two runs for the winners.
Ashli Knotts also gave up nine hits and struck out eight. The first 20-game winner in Roane history, she finished the season with a 20-8 mark.
Cheyenne Hall had three hits for the Lady Raiders, with Allie Mills and Breanna Mathewson adding two each. Michele Carpenter, who along with Mills was one of only two seniors on the roster, doubled and drove in two runs.
The two teams had split the opening doubleheader of the sectional last Wednesday in Spencer. Ritchie rolled to a 13-2 decision in game one before the Lady Raiders stayed alive, winning 3-2 in the nightcap with a two-run rally in the seventh highlighted by Knotts’ game-winning hit.
Flanigan had a two-run homer for the Rebels in their game one victory, which lasted only five innings due to the mercy rule. Losing hurler Megan Keaton gave up eight hits and was victimized by nine Lady Raider errors.
Morgan Cottrell led off the second game with a home run over the fence in center. The score stayed 1-0 until Ritchie broke through with two runs off Knotts in the sixth. Knotts’ game-winner was a single that drove in a pair of runs.
Knotts pitched a four-hitter with seven strikeouts and three walks. One of the Rebel runs was unearned.
Roane County 100 01 – 2 3 9
Ritchie County 224 05 – 13 8 2
WP: Kelsey Clark IP: 5 R: 2 ER: 0 H: 3 SO: 1 BB: 0
Knight IP: 1 ER: 0 H: 8 SO: 1 BB: 2
LP: Megan Keaton (2-3) IP: 4-2/3 R: 13 ER: 3 H: 8 SO: 1 BB: 2
Roane hitting: Morgan Cottrell 2-3, RBI; Michele Carpenter 1-2
Ritchie hitting: Karrissa Ezell 3-4; Stemple 1-4, RBI; Laura Carpenter 2-3; Heather Flanigan 1-3, home run, 2 RBIs; Jenkins 1-2, 2 RBIs
Roane County 100 000 2 – 3 7 1
Ritchie County 000 002 0 – 2 4 2
WP: Ashli Knotts IP: 7 R: 2 ER: 1 H: 4 SO: 7 BB: 3
LP: Knight IP: 7 R: 3 ER: 3 H: 7 SO: 7 BB: 3
Roane hitting: Cottrell 2-4, double, home run, RBI; Knotts 2-3, 2 RBIs
Ritchie hitting: K. Ezell 1-2, Tabitha Ezell 1-2
Roane County (22-11) 100 103 0 – 5 9 1
Ritchie County 300 221 X – 8 9 4
WP: Clark IP: 7 SO: 8 BB: 1
LP: Knotts (20-8) IP: 6 SO: 8 BB: 1
Roane hitting: Cheyenne Hall 3-4, double, RBI; Allie Mills 2-3; Carpenter 1-3, double, 2 RBIs; Breanna Mathewson 2-3, RBI
Ritchie hitting: K. Ezell 1-4; Brittany Spencer 2-4; Carpenter RBI; Flanigan 3-3, RBI; Kasey Hilvers 2 RBIs
