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The Williamsburg Lady Jackets are trying to stay out of the number four seed in the up-coming softball district tournament. To do what they needed,  a win over the South Laurel Lady Cardinals was a must or a win over the Whitley County Lady Colonels Friday.

The Lady Jackets played their hearts out Monday at South Laurel, but couldn’t get the key hit that would have given Williamsburg an upset of the Lady Cardinals. They lost 2-1 in the closest game ever played between the teams.

“I think we played a pretty solid game. Our only downfall was not hitting together. Some people hit, some people didn’t. We played good enough defense to win the game, we just didn’t come through offensively,” said Whitley County Coach Andrea Ellis.

“We only had one error in the field which scored a run, but honestly, that run would’ve scored had the error not been made. They are a very aggressive base running team. Cecily did a great job for us. She was able to hit her spots and keep them from rocking her pitches,” said Ellis.

“Offensively, we left six people on. In the 2nd and 5^th innings we left runners on second and third, and then first and second. We really needed to finish our at bats and drive those runners in. Again the hits were there, just not together,” Ellis said. “Was I pleased? No I don’t think so. I think that we can do much better than that. We had two of our strongest hitters no get on base at all, which really hurt us.”

Williamsburg (8-11) had its chances to score and pull off the win. In the top of the second, Jessica Ball got the first hit against all-state pitcher, Emily Gaines. Carissa Conlin, an eighth grader, smacked a single out of the reach for the South Laurel third baseman and Williamsburg had runners at first and second.

Gaines was able to strike out Sara Meadors and Lakin Ayers to get out of the inning.

Taylor Haynes hit into an error in the top of the third with two outs, but again the Lady Jackets came up empty.

South Laurel got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third when Gaines led off with a base hit past second base. She went to second on a ground out bunt my Morgan Johnson then scored on a Destinee Fisher double to left centerfield.

The Williamsburg defense held Fisher on second after Jamie Baker and Kelsey Jervis popped out.

Williamsburg even the score in the top of the fifth when Meadors reached base on an infield hit. Ayers followed with a base hit as the Lady Jackets got the first two batters on board. But, Gaines struck out Ashley Stephens and Ashley Taylor moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt.

Facing two outs, Haynes came through with a single past the shortstop, scoring Meadors and moving Ayers to second. With Samanatha Burr at the plate, Williamsburg looked to take the lead. However, Burr grounded a hard hit back to the mound for the third out of the inning.

South Laurel answered the challenge as Gaines hit a one-out double to center field then scored on a base hit by Johnson. The ball got away from Conlin in center field and Gaines scored to make it 2-1. Fisher flew out and Baker popped out as Williamsburg stopped the rally.

Conlin tried to give Williamsburg the tying run in the top of the sixth with a two-single single to left field, but a grounder by Meadors ended the inning.

Both teams went down in order to end the game.

The Lady Jackets will play at Whitley County Friday with the number three spot on the line. The winner will likely play Corbin in the first-round of the district with the loser getting South Laurel.

“Friday is a big game. It will ultimately determine who gets 3rd and 4^th place,” said Ellis. “We would love to knock off Whitley co and take that third place spot. Will we? I don’t know. It just depends on if my team shows up ready to

play.”

“They seemed to have their heads on this week, so hopefully we will go into the Whitley game with intensions of starting the weekend off right and getting a win right before state,” she said.

“We go to state this weekend and all the coaches and girls, and all the people going to support us, are super excited,” said Ellis. “We have a chance to do something big at this school and hopefully we will. I truly feel that if the girls go up there with confidence and the mind set that they can and are going to play well, we will do good and go far.”

South Laurel 2, Williamsburg 1

Williamsburg 000  010  0- 1  6  1

South Laurel 001  010  x- 2  5  1

  Cecily Sears and Samantha Burr. Gaines and Wemes. W-Gaines, L-Sears. 2B-Gaines (SL), Fisher (SL).