The DeKalb County High School Tigerettes softball team got back to their winning ways early last week, getting a shutout against border rival Cannon County.
On Monday, April 26, the Tigerettes were on the road in Woodbury. DeKalb put the first point on the scoreboard in the first inning, when, with bases loaded, Madison Martin was hit by a pitch, sending Jacey Hatfield across the plate. At the end of the inning, DeKalb was up, 1-0.
The action continued at the top of the third, when first up, Hatfield, sent one over the left field fence. Later, with Anniston Farler on base, Bri Murphy knocked one out of center field, giving the Tigerettes a 4-0 lead.
At the top of the fourth, Emma Johnson hit a triple on a line drive to right field, as Layla Walker crossed the plate. Johnson would score after a sacrifice fly to right field by Hatfield. DeKalb held a 6-0 lead.
Johnson scored again in the seventh inning, when, with bases loaded, Farler hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Next, Martin hit a sacrifice fly to center, as Hatfield touched home base. The Tigerettes were up 8-0, and that is where the score would stay. Cannon had one more chance at bat, but would go three and out.
Murphy got the win on the mound, allowing one hit and zero runs over seven innings, striking out six and walking zero. Murphy, Farler, Hatfield, Johnson, and Walker each collected one hit for DeKalb.
The following day, the Tigerettes were back on the road, this time getting a big win over Smith County.
DeKalb struck first, getting two runs at the top of the first inning. A single by Aly Griffith resulted in Morgan Walker scoring on the throw. Then, a sacrifice fly to left field by Aniston Farler, allowed Jacey Hatfield to touch home plate.
The Tigerettes would add two more in the third inning, when another hit by Griffith brought Walker home. Griffith scored after Farler singled on a line drive to center field. DeKalb was up, 4-0, but Smith County got in the game at their next at bats, tying the game 4-4.
Undaunted, the Tigerettes came to play in the fifth inning. Walker scored after a hard ground ball to left field by Hatfield, then, with bases loaded, Johnson and Hatfield would walk across home. After that, Griffith and Farler scored after Bri Murphy reached on a ground ball and an error. Martin came home after Ellie Cripps grounded out to shortstop. DeKalb held a 10-4 lead.
The Tigerettes continued in the sixth inning. Johnson scored after a sacrifice fly to right by Farler, then a sacrifice fly to center allowed Hatfield to score. Later, a Kennedy Polk grounder to center, led to Murphy and Griffith touching home plate. Then, Walker singled on a ground ball to right field, sending Cripps home.
Smith had one more turn at bat, but would go three and out, giving DeKalb the 15-4 victory.
Cripps led the Tigerettes from the circle, allowing seven hits and four runs over three and a third innings, striking out one and walking one. Murphy threw two and two-thirds innings in relief out of the bullpen. She recorded the last eight outs to earn the save for DeKalb. Walker went four for five at the plate for DeKalb.
