Lady Warriors end Friday night on good note with win over Greenbriar

Published 10:56 pm Friday, April 1, 2016

Kingsport — After suffering a 9-3 loss to South-Doyle Friday afternoon, the Lady Warriors got their bats working in the night cap as they topped Greenbriar 6-3 during day two of the Eastman Softball Invitational at Domtar Park.

After holding Greenbriar scoreless in the top of the first, things started out with bang for the Lady Warriors as third baseman Emily Whitaker whacked a 3-run homer in the bottom of the frame to give Happy Valley a quick 3-0 lead. Coming home off the home run was Kaitlyn Roberts, who had got on base with a perfectly placed bunt, and catcher Olivia Kelly, who had got on with a single.

“She stepped up big for us,” Happy Valley head coach Bonnie Peters said about Whitaker. “She has a lot of power, and I was glad she connected because she was due one.”

Both the second and third innings did not see a run scored.

In the top of the fourth, Greenbriar was able to net two runs. However, the Lady Warriors answered in the bottom of the inning with three of their own. The ball got rolling with Kalee Johnson and Kenzie Davis both popping doubles, with Davis’ double bringing home Johnson. Davis found her way home off of a wild pitch. The Lady Warriors last run of the game came from Sydney Puckett.

Greenbriar picked up one more run in the top of the fifth.

“I thought they came out ready to play that game,” Peters said. “Kalee Johnson threw a good game. We played good defense. Our bats were hot. They played a lot of short game, and did a great job.”

Johnson worked from the mound the whole contest and would only allow two hits. She finished the game with five strike outs against just one walk.

From the plate, Roberts, Kelly, and Whitaker were all 1-of-3, with Whitaker recording a homerun and three RBIs. Johnson closed out going 2-of-2 with a double and one RBI, while Kenzie Davis went 1-of-2 with a double and RBI.

The Lady Warriors will be back at Domtar Park for day three of the tournament. Happy Valley starts things out with a 10 a.m. game with Grainger before facing David Crockett at 1 p.m.

Game 1

South Doyle 9, Happy Valley 3 

During day two of the 2016 Eastman Softball Invitational at Domar Park in Kingsport, the Happy Valley Lady Warriors could only muster up one inning of scoring as they dropped their contest with South-Doyle, 9-3.

After the Lady Cherokee posted three runs in the first inning, the Lady Warriors captured three runs in the top of the second to tie things up.

In the second, Kalee Johnson got things rolling for Happy Valley as she made it to first off asingle, before stealing her way to second. With Johnson at second, Kenzie Davis walked her way to first, before Sydney Puckett came to the plate and knocked a single that brought home Johnson. With Puckett and Davis waiting to be brought in, Katie Harner did not disappoint as she blasted a double to bring her two teammates home. Harner finished the game going 1-of-3 with one double and two RBIs.

In the bottom of the second, after the Lady Warriors picked up two quick outs, with Kaitlyn Roberts catching a fly ball in center field and Bailey Hardin striking out a runner,the Lady Cherokees were able to get two on base. However, with a runner at second and first, Happy Valley shortstop Calli Davis scooped up a hard hit grounder and flicked it over to third baseman Emily Whitaker for a forced out.

In the top of the third, Happy Valley’s Olivia Kelly, after getting on with a single, would make her way to third base off a one bagger from Whitaker and a wild pitch. However, with Kelly at third and Whitaker at second, the Lady Warriors suffer three consecutive outs that closed their chances to score.

The Lady Cherokees were able to post two more runs in the bottom of the third.

In the top of the fifth, Happy Valley would have another chance to score with the speedy Roberts getting to first off of a bunt. Roberts would steal her way to second, before making it to third off of a fly out by Kelly. However, the Lady Warriors came up short again as Roberts was left at third.

The Lady Cherokees kept things rolling in the bottom of the fifth as they posted their last four runs of the game.

In the sixth, both Kenzie Davis and Lilly Runningcrane made it to base but without prevail

The Lady Warriors were led from the mound by Bailey Hardin, who tossed for the whole contest. Hardin closed things out with eight hits against her, while picking up two strike outs.