Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BY AUSTIN ALEXANDER
STAR CORRESPONDENT

BLOUNTVILLE – Spring was in the air on Tuesday as the Lady Cyclones of Elizabethton traveled to Sullivan County to take on the Sullivan Central Cougars in the Three Rivers Conference opener for the Cyclones.

The bats got hot early and often and lights out pitching from Madisun Pritchard spelled disaster for the Lady Cougars as Elizabethton took the 15-1 victory.

Ember Jensen led off for the Cyclones with a single to right-center and just like that, Elizabethton was off. Next stepped up Maddie O’Quinn who would lay down a perfect sacrifice bunt setting up Pritchard to knock Jensen in and after one-half frame the Cyclones led 1-0.

Pritchard began her dominant night on the mound sitting down three of the first five batters allowing a hit and a walk, but flexing some strong pitches early showing signs of what was to come.

The second inning was the beginning of the end for the Cougars.

Things got started with Cheyenne Porioux reaching on an error before Emma O’Quinn sacrifice bunted Porioux into scoring position.

After the next batter was walked, Jensen stepped back up and slapped a triple into right scoring two runs.

A wild pitch from the Cougars brought Jensen home making the score 4-0. Things would continue to spiral as a Maddie O’Quinn single set the stage for Kallista DePrimo’s two-run bomb to left-center and stretching the lead further.

A pitching change from Central did little as the bats stayed red hot for Elizabethton as the Lady Cyclones tacked on another three runs before the end of the inning making the score 9-0.

Pritchard continued her dominance on the mound once again sitting down three of the first four batters she faced and putting the Cyclones back into attack mode.

Jensen once again led off an inning with a groundball single into left field.

After Maddie O’Quinn was hit by a pitch, DePrimo stepped up and tried to replicate the home run from her previous at-bat, but it landed just shy of going over the wall as the ball hit the fence and scored Jensen.

Another series of hits and sacrifice works gave the Cyclones a decisive 12-0 lead at the end of two and a half innings of play.

There were no surprises from the Cyclones defense as only four batters saw the field for Central as the Pritchard show continued.

A couple of more back-and-forth innings between the two teams saw Central finally get a run on the board, but ultimately the Cyclones were far too much scoring the early season win, 15-1.