SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Henderson, Gilmer, Troup and Arp win big

Supposedly, among many quotes attributed to legendary college football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant is this little gem: “It ain’t braggin’ if you can do it.”

Baseball’s Dizzy Dean’s name is also attached to that quote.

Whomever said it, the Henderson High School softball Lady Lions are owning it right now. Oh, and they’re owning their opponents, too.

Henderson dropkicked Spring Hill, 10-2, on Friday night in Longview, the Lady Lions’ seventh straight win. And oh, by the way: that keeps them unblemished, 3-0, in District 16-4A.

Elsewhere around District 16-4A on Friday, it was Pine Tree over Kilgore, 14-1, and Gilmer blanked Chapel Hill, 17-0 (see below for more on both).

Overton had the evening off, as most of the programs in the ETBlitz.com area enjoyed spring break this week. Sabine and White Oak played their series earlier this week and were off on Friday, and West Rusk also had this week off.

In games involving programs in District 16-3A, it was Troup topping Gladewater, 13-1, an Arp over Tatum, 16-6 (more on those games below).

Back to Henderson-Spring Hill.

How ‘bout this little ditty: the Lady Lions had SIXTEEN (as in 1-6) hits in the game, and even though they were charged with three errors, Henderson (15-4-1 overall this season) jumped out from the get-go with three first-inning runs, two more in the third, and another in the fourth – they never trailed.

Spring Hill (10-9-1, 0-4 in district play) had four hits, two of them by Josie Gray, along with an RBI. The other two: Aubreigh Whiddon and Peyton Dees. Gray had a double, a single and that RBI.

Abbye McFaul threw 3 2/3 innings for the Lady Panthers, allowing six runs, all earned, on six hits. She walked four and struck out one.

Mattye Moore pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on 10 hits, three walks and also had one strikeout.

Henderson pitcher Chloe Ellis was the biggest reason Spring Hill had just four hits. Ellis gave another blistering, double-digit-strikeout performance: 10 of them, in a seven-inning outing. She allowed just two walks.

Among those 16 hits: two singles and a triple by Addison Standley, who also scored three runs. Ellis helped her own cause with a double and 2 RBI. Anna Cheek and KK Brooks each had two singles; Cheek also had an RBI, and Addy Davis, Jacie Boothe and Brinklee Bowman all had RBIs.

Upcoming for Henderson: a trip to Gilmer on Tuesday night, with the junior varsity game set for a 5 p.m. start and varsity afterward, and then a home game on Friday, March 21, against Kilgore, in that same format.

For Spring Hill, it’s a trip to Kilgore on Tuesday night, then a non-district game at Nacogdoches on Friday.

Pine Tree 14, Kilgore 1: Speaking of the Lady Bulldogs, their district game at home Friday night didn’t go well, as after Kilgore picked up its first district win on Tuesday, they had this setback to Pine Tree Friday night.

Kilgore had a tough time finding offense against PT pitcher Taylor Burkhart, who had 10 strikeouts and only allowed two hits: Aniyah Polk had them for KHS, with Addison Pierson collecting an RBI.

Mo Rougely did a lot of the damage for the Lady Pirates (7-11-1 overall, 3-1 in district). Rougely had a home run, a double, a single and 3 RBI, and Laykin Elliott also had a double and an RBI.

Karsyn Stover had three strikeouts and walked three in the loss for the Lady Bulldogs (4-13-1, 1-2).

As mentioned above, Kilgore hosts Spring Hill on Tuesday night, a 5 p.m. JV start, then visits Henderson on Friday. Pine Tree will host Carthage on Tuesday, starting with JV at 5, then visit Gilmer next Friday, also beginning with JV at 5.

Gilmer 17, Chapel Hill 0: It’s hard to score if you can’t hit the ball.

And Chapel Hill couldn’t hit Lady Buckeyes pitcher Alexia Kemp on Friday, as Kemp allowed only two hits and struck out eight in a four-inning performance, a run-rule game. Kemp also didn’t walk a single batter.

Kemp was feeling it at the plate, too: a home run and 4 RBI. Teammate Kendi Canady had a home run and 2 RBI, and Kennedy Jordan joined the party with a triple, a single and 2 RBI.

Kara Williams had a double and 2 RBI, as well; Kaydence Smith doubled for Gilmer (13-2-2), and Alex Werbeck had an RBI.

Not only did that keep the Lady Buckeyes unbeaten in district play (3-0), but it was also their eighth straight win.

That big showdown with Henderson is at Gilmer on Tuesday night, starting with a JV game at 5, and then Gilmer is home Friday, as well, hosting Pine Tree.

Troup 13, Gladewater 1: Troup’s Lady Tigers did some muscle-flexing on the road at Gladewater on Friday night. Taylor Gillispie was the lead flex-er, so to speak.

Gillispie hit a home run and had 3 RBI, then over 4 1/3 innings, struck out eight and allowed just one hit and a walk.

Both Olivia Anderson and Heather Longino hit a triple for Troup (15-5-1) – Longino also had two singles and 3 RBI, and Anderson, two singles and 2 RBI. Shiloh Sluder had three singles and an RBI; Ava Hays had two singles; and Makayla Spencer added an RBI for the Lady Tigers.

Shaylee Ellis had a double and a single for Gladewater (5-9-1)).

It was the third straight win for Troup, now 4-1 in District 16-3A. They’ll visit West Rusk on Tuesday, then host the Lady Raiders on Friday.

Gladewater drops to 2-2 in district, and the Lady Bears will host Tatum on Tuesday, then visit Arp on Friday.

Arp 16, Tatum 6: Speaking of Arp, it really was “home, sweet home” Friday, a run-rule game over Tatum’s Lady Eagles, and a fourth district win for Arp.

Arp is now 17-4 on the year and 4-1 in district play, with back-to-back wins headed into another home game this coming Tuesday against White Oak, whose Lady’Necks have won three straight.

Tatum drops to 2-3 in district with the loss and 5-7 overall, and will play at Gladewater on Tuesday, then be off on Friday.

Against Tatum, Arp’s Lacy Fletcher put in her own nomination for the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Player of the Week award: Fletcher had a home run, a single and 4 RBI, then on the mound, allowed two walks and notched 10 strikeouts in a five-inning outing for the win.

Also for Arp, Neci Potts had a home run and 3 RBI; Kaitlynn Raymond had a double, a single and 3 RBI; and Addison Carpenter and Aubry Way each had an RBI.