They’re Out!!

It was an ugly day for the 50th district in the opening round of the 13th Region Softball Tournament at Rockcastle County High School, Monday.
The two entrants. district champion, Williamsburg and runner-up, Whitley County combined for just four hits while neither team was able to get on the scoreboard. Williamsburg lost to the Clay County Lady Tigers, 20-0 in three innings while Rockcastle County ended the Whitley County Lady Colonels in a six-inning game, 10-0.
Clay County 20, Williamsburg 0
Clay County (14-7) jumped on Williamsburg pitcher Cecily Sears for three runs in the top of the first inning. Partin opened the game with a single and stolen base. Brittany Combs followed with a single to score the first run of the game.
Jayme Gilbert had a hard hit ball to second that was bobbled a Combs scored for a 2-0 lead. Back to back hits by Aubrey and Napier pushed the score to 3-0 before Sears struck out Gray and got Fisher to ground out.
Williamsburg went down in order in the bottom of the first as Stanfill popped out to second followed by a Sarah Smith fly ball to right field. Sears flew out to centerfield to end the quick inning.
Clay County exploded for eight runs in the top of the second and led 11-0. Williamsburg got one of its two hits in the bottom of the second when McAnnally led off the frame with a base hit. However, the Lady Jackets went down in order as Cara Rains grounded out to second, Hamblin grounded into a fielder’s choice and Reeves struck out.
By the time Williamsburg got to the bottom of the third, they trailed 20-0 and needed 11 runs to stay alive.
Rachel Croley led off with a single to centerfield but the Lady Jackets came up empty as Corissa Black and Stanfill struck out while Smith grounded back to the mound to end the game.
Williamsburg, the surprise district champion, saw its season come to an end with a 10-13 record.
Rockcastle 10, Whitley County 0
It was a game that Whitley County coach David Halcomb hoped would come at the end of the 13th region tournament, Whitley County vs. Rockcastle County. However, after losing to Williamsburg in the district final, the Lady Colonels had to take on a district winner in the first-round of the region tournament.
The luck of the draw matched the Lady Colonels against Rockcastle County, the host team for the regional.
After a pair of scoreless innings, the Lady Colonels defense yielded four runs in the bottom of the third and Rockcastle County went on to defeat Whitley County, 10-0.
“I was worried about this game,” said Rockcastle coach Jessie Mahaffey. “The last time we played them they were just a hit or two away from giving us a close game.” The Lady Rockets won that game 9-3.
However, Monday, pitcher Allison Durham had everything going her way and held the Lady Colonels at bay. Kayla Grubb had a single in the top of the first followed by an Annie Wilson fielder’s choice.
Wilson stole second base but that was a far as any Lady Colonel would get.
In the bottom of the third, the Lady Rockets (27-9) sent four runners home for a 4-0 lead.
Wilson would reach base in the top of the fourth on a walk before Samantha Hundley flew out and Jessica Fritts grounded out.
In the bottom of the fifth, Durham helped her own cause with a single. A pair of errors on the play allowed Durham to score the fifth run of the contest.
Whitley County went down in order in the top of the sixth and disaster struck in the home half of the inning. Triples by Sarah Hopkins and Mary Saylor gave Rockcastle County just enough runs to put the game away. Durham drove in Saylor to end the contest with just one out.
Whitley County closed out the season with a 19-12.

Clay County 389- 20 11 0
Williamsburg 000- 0 2 7
Gilbert and Fisher. Sears and McAnnally. WP-Gilbert, LP-Sears. 2B-Combs (CC). 3B-Gilbert (CC).

Whitley Co. 000 000- 0 2 2
Rockcastle 004 015- 10 10 0
Hundley and Wilson. Durham and Dollins. WP-Durham. LP-Hundley. 2B-Bullock (RC). 3B-Hopkins (RC), Saylor (RC).