After giving up two runs in the first, the Unaka Lady Rangers got the bats going as they took a 9-5 win over South Greene during the District 1-A Tournament Monday at the Metro Kiwanis Park in Johnson City.
The Lady Rangers will play in the winner’s bracket final today at 7 p.m. in Johnson City. They take on the winner of yesterday’s game between University High and North Greene.
With a double and a single in the first frame, the Lady Rebels quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the contest. The Lady Rangers answered in the bottom of the opening inning as Unaka’s Madison Pierce sped across home plate off a ground single to midfield by Katlyn Weaver, narrowing South’s lead to just one run.
It was three up and three down for the Lady Rebels in the top of the second as the Lady Rangers’ infield made quick work of short hit balls.
In the second, Unaka’s Pierce knocked a single to bring home Haley Fuller, before Lady Rangers’ Erika Potter smacked a deep double to middle field bringing home both Pierce and Sydney Markland. The Lady Rangers held a 3-2 edge heading into the third inning.
Like in the second, the Lady Rangers infield made easy work of the Lady Rebels, going three up and three down once again.
And also just like in the second, the Lady Rangers had the bats swinging. In the bottom of the frame, Unaka picked up four runs. Unaka’s Haley Fair, with a double, pushed teammate Madison Ensor into scoring position at third before Unaka’s Sarah Hardin flew out to left field bringing home Ensor. Fair crossed home off a single from teammate Taylor Shanks, before Pierce hit a two-RBI double to score both Shanks and Markland to give the Lady Rangers an 8-2 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, Fuller scored Unaka’s last run of the game off a single from Markland.
The Lady Rebels picked three more runs in the final three innings, but it was not enough for a comeback.