Five runs in fourth propel Central past Cloudland
Published 12:04 am Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Cloudland's Gracie Freeman pulls into second base safely.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert A Cloudland outfielder prepares to pick up a ball hit to the outfield.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Lady Highlander Heaven Caraway heads to the bag at third base.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Cloudland's Taylor Hicks takes a hefty cut at a Lady Cougar pitch.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Lady Highlander Marlee Hughes has a bead on an incoming pitch.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Cloudland pitcher Karah Fields prepares to unleash a pitch toward home plate.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Cloudland head coach Matt Birchfield watches his team from the entryway to the dugout.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Jasmine Birchfield prepares to throw the softball to first base to retire a potential Central baserunner.
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FROM STAFF REPORTS
Playing in the Eastman Softball Tournament, the Cloudland Lady Highlanders were hoping to hone their craft as they continued to get into a softball rhythm after a late start to the season due to basketball.
In their pool play contest against Sullivan Central, a Class AA team, the Lady Highlanders were actually holding their own until the fourth inning when the Lady Cougars hung five runs on the board to take control of the contest and go on to an 8-3 victory.
The Lady Highlanders scored two in the first inning as starting pitcher Karah Fields singled to open the frame for Cloudland. Fields went on to swipe second base and advanced to third on a base hit by Marlee Hughes.
Ryan Turbyfill was hit by a Central pitch to load the bases for Cloudland. The Lady Highlanders cashed in a run thanks to Jasmine Birchfield also being hit by a pitch to make it 1-0 Cloudland.
Taylor Hicks hit a ball toward short and Hughes was out on the throw home. Heaven Caraway picked up Turbyfill to make it 2-0 Lady Highlanders.
The Lady Cougars cut the lead in the top of the second scoring one before the Lady Highlanders added their third run of the game in the bottom of the inning.
Fields was back in the mix on the score as she laced a single with one out and stole second base. It appeared the Lady Cougars could get out of the inning as they recorded the second out when Hughes flew out on the infield.
However, Turbyfill made sure that the Lady Highlanders were going to get at least one run when she ripped a double to centerfield allowing Fields to race home making it 3-1 Cloudland.
From that point, it was all Central as the Lady Cougars scored one in the top of the third, five in the fourth, and one in the sixth to secure the 8-3 win.
Central had 15 hits in the game while Cloudland collected 11.
Fields was 4-for-4 to lead the Lady Highlanders at the plate while Caraway and Gracie Freeman added a pair of hits apiece.
Hughes, Turbyfill, and Hicks collected the other hits for Cloudland.
From the pitching circle, Fields allowed eight runs, seven of those earned, while striking out three and walking four Lady Cougar batters.
