KILGORE SOFTBALL WINS! | Tucker homer, late defensive heroics lift Lady ‘Dogs at Spring Hill
Just three days after one of the worst losses in program history, Kilgore High School’s softball team got one of the most important wins – at least in recent memory.
On Friday, after losing to Henderson in embarrassing 17-0 fashion at home, the Lady Bulldogs picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and did a complete, total 180-degree turn – not a beatdown-win at Spring Hill on Friday night, but a win nonetheless, a 15-14 nail-biter that kept the team from falling into an 0-2 hole in District 17-4A.
Now, Kilgore, a 1-1 record in district play no matter what the rest of its regular season record is, has to put their hardhats on and go to work again this coming week. Coach Lacey Middlebrooks’ team hosts Gilmer at home at Stream-Flo Field, right beside Driller Park, on Tuesday, starting at 4:30 p.m. with the junior varsity game, varsity to follow.
On Thursday (instead of Friday, since it’s the Good Friday holiday), Kilgore is home against Center, another 4:30 p.m. JV start with varsity afterward.
Both of those games are also 17-4A contests.
Back to Kilgore-Spring Hill.
With her team behind 13-11, Kilgore’s Maddie Tucker hit a three-run home run in the top of the fourth inning, which also saw the Lady ‘Dogs score another run to go in front, 15-13.
Spring Hill was held scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, then returned the favor and held KHS scoreless in the top of the seventh.
The Lady Panthers did get one run in, with Haley Blake, who drew a one-out walk, coming around to score on a double by Josie Gray. But right before Blake scored, Karsyn Stover got K. Saxon to ground out to Molly Quine at third, who retired the out with a throw to Addison Pierson at first.
Blake scored with the two outs, getting Spring Hill within a run (15-14). But Stover struck out M. Moore for that last out, and Kilgore had won.
Kilgore had 15 hits in the game, too, and won in spite of making seven errors (Spring Hill was charged with no errors). Everybody who batted for Kilgore in the game had at least one hit.
In addition to her home run, Tucker had a double, and finished with 4 RBI.
Kell Hooper, who went 2-of-3 and scored a run, also had a double and a walk. Catcher Eva Ray returned to the lineup, and went 2-for-2 with a double and a single, and 2 RBI. Stover went 1-of-3 with a double and 2 RBI. And Thaiona Moore went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Quine went 2-for-2 with 2 RBI and walked twice. Jae’la Williams had a hit, as did Aniyah Polk. Pierson had a hit, and so did Addison Murphy.
On the mound for the Lady ‘Dogs, Moore started and pitched four innings, allowing 12 runs, just one earned, on seven hits, and walked three. She notched five strikeouts.
Stover pitched three innings and was the official winning pitcher. She allowed two runs, both earned, on two hits, walked two and also struck out five.
Jovi Spurlock led Spring Hill with a 4-for-4 night at the plate, including a 2-RBI double.