Lady ‘Landers season comes to a close in District 1-A softball play
Published 1:46 pm Thursday, May 13, 2021
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cloudland's Karah Fields reaches out trying to make contact with the softball.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders A North Greene base runner gets too far off base and pays the price as Cloudland shortstop Jasmine Birchfield made a stellar catch behind second base and threw back to second baseman Krisi Bare for the double play.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cloudland's Heaven Caraway gets the bunt down.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders A Cloudland batter hits the ball into the dirt during the District 1-A softball tournament in Greeneville.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cloudland's Gracie Freeman is barely out after the Lady Huskie first baseman had to stretch to come down with the throw on the bang-bang play.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Lady 'Lander third baseman Taylor Hicks can't come up with the ball as a North Greene base runner comes into third standing up.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cloudland head coach Matt Birchfield talks to his team before sending them back onto the field to play defense.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cloudland's Krisi Bare gets the bat on the ball in action against North Greene.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cloudland shortstop Jasmine Birchfield awaits the throw while a North Greene baserunner slides safely into second base on a steal. Backing up the throw is second baseman Krisi Bare.
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BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
GREENEVILLE – Sometimes the most obvious thing is the hardest to accomplish.
Such was the case for the Cloudland Lady Highlanders who were needing to string together base runners throughout the game to try to stay in contention to play for the District 1-A softball championship but just couldn’t seem to get anything going throughout their seven-inning semifinal contest against North Greene falling 4-0.
At the end of each half-inning, head coach Matt Birchfield continued to preach the message of getting the bats going, having fun, and forcing the Lady Huskies into mistakes.
However, the Lady ‘Landers just couldn’t pull the trigger as in each inning they were able to get a runner on base only to fail to manufacture a run as North Greene put the pressure on early by scoring three runs in the first inning.
A couple of miscues on the basepaths also weren’t very helpful to the Lady Highlander’s chances of getting back into the contest.
The Lady Highlanders got a single from Heaven Caraway in the first, a single by Ryan Turbyfill in the second, a single by Karah Fields in the third, a single by Krisi Bare in the fourth, a single by Kaylen Fields in the fifth, a single by Jasmine Birchfield in the sixth, and another single by Turbyfill in the seventh without getting anything to back up the effort.
North Greene’s pitcher Gaby had a lot to do with that as the Lady Huskie struck out 10 Lady ‘Landers in the contest.
Cloudland had the defense to win the game with several stellar plays including Caraway charging in from her spot in left field to make a diving catch just behind the shortstop and Jasmine Birchfield’s catch just beyond the second base bag that she was able to relay back to second baseman Bare for the double play.
Also, starting pitcher Karah Fields settled after the three-run first inning and allowed only one more run in the third inning to keep the game within reach for her team.
However, a comeback was just not in the cards for the ladies from Roan Mountain who wrapped up their season with the loss.
