Heart-breaking losses continue for Lady Pioneer softball team

By ROB NUNLEY

One-run games have been the Achilles? Heel of the Lady Pioneer softball team this spring, and last week was certainly no exception.

Warren County?s girls fell in a District 7-AAA contest Tuesday at Cookeville, then suffered another one-run defeat in their Senior Night tilt Thursday, losing to White County 4-3.

The losses dropped the Lady Pioneers? record to 7-17 entering the final week of the regular season.

Prior to Thursday?s contest, the Lady Pioneers paid tribute to their three seniors: Kayla Hubbard, Brittany Darnbush and LeAnne Smith. But White County?s Warriorettes spoiled the celebration in the fifth inning, scoring two runs to pull ahead for good on their way to the win.

Paige Scott got the Warriorettes going, singling to start the first and coming home on a single from Miya Teeples. But the Lady Pioneers answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame, when Katie Rogers? sinking fly ball to left dropped in front of a sliding Brittney Cragg, allowing Ashlee Malone and Kayley Murray to score.

The Lady Pioneers held their 2-1 lead until the fifth, when White County took advantage of a two-out error to pull ahead.

Scott hit into a fielder?s choice which retired Rebecca Gilliam at second, but was on base and scored when Amanda Mitchell hit a fly to left which was dropped by Brooke Bowman. Scott tried to advance to third on the play, and Bowman?s throw went into the dugout, allowing Scott to come home and putting Mitchell at third, where she later scored on a single from Teeples.

White County added an insurance run in the seventh, when Scott singled and came home on a Sasha Howell base hit.

Darnbush doubled to start the bottom of the seventh for Warren County, and scored on a grounder from Hubbard after taking third on a passed ball. But Linnsay Williamson grounded out, and Bowman was robbed of a hit by a sliding catch by Gragg which ended the game.

? Tuesday night in Cookeville, WCHS went up 1-0 when Bowman led off the game with a home run to left on the first pitch of the game.

But Cookeville answered with a single run in the third, on a Taylor Enochs single which plated Brittny Kincaid. The game-winning run came in the sixth, when Kincaid scored again, coming home on a double from Emily Blair.

Katie Morris pitched the full game for CHS, giving up four hits and fanning two batters. Kaitom Tanner allowed three hits and struck out three in 5 1/3 innings for Warren County, while Smith came on for the final 2/3 of the sixth.

The Lady Pioneers will have a pair of make-up games this week, taking on Lebanon on Monday and Oakland on Tuesday. Both contests, which were postponed by rain earlier in the season, will be played at WCHS with 6 p.m. start times.