Early alarms for Central, Ooltewah in Spring Fling

May 22, 2015 at 1:00 a.m. | Updated May 22, 2015 at 3:42 a.m.

by David Uchiyama

Ooltewah center fielder Allie Jones tries to make a diving catch during their Class AAA state softball tournament game against Bearden on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, at the TSSAA Spring Fling in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Ooltewah won 5-0.
Ooltewah center fielder Allie Jones tries to make a diving catch during their Class AAA state softball tournament game against Bearden on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, at the TSSAA Spring Fling in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Ooltewah won 5-0.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Ooltewah senior Allie Jones loves the breakfast at her team hotel.

She may break a two-day tradition and pass on the two biscuits with gravy today, though, because the Lady Owls will be playing softball shortly after their alarm clocks sound.

Ooltewah lost 7-2 to Wilson Central and will be be at the StarPlex Complex for a 10 a.m. first pitch against Dickson County in the Class AAA state tournament losers-bracket final.

photo Central's Kaili Crawley bats during their Class AA state softball tournament game against Greeneville on Thursday, May 21, 2015, at the TSSAA Spring Fling in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

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photo Wilson Central's Katie Eakes is safe at 2nd ahead of the tag by Ooltewah shortstop Tiera Lemon during their Class AAA state softball tournament game against Wilson Central on Thursday, May 21, 2015, at the TSSAA Spring Fling in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

"It's disappointing because it would have been easier to play at 3," Jones said. "Everybody has to forget about this loss."

Central will also play at 10 after falling to the Class AA losers bracket with Thursday night's 2-0 loss to Greeneville. Sale Creek faces Knoxville Grace at the same time in the Class A losers-bracket final.

"I felt that we played a good ballgame all around," Central coach LeeAnne Shurette said. "We have to hit."

Central pitcher Brooke Parrott recorded eight strikeouts during her first two trips through the Greeneville lineup.

Once the scorecard flipped, so did the game. Leadoff hitter Jordan Fortel blasted a home run off Parrott, then Hope Ottinger followed three pitches later with another home run.

"I really didn't want to pitch to (Fortel) because I knew she could hit, but I was thinking that maybe I'll get lucky," Parrott said. "Giving up two has happened so many times that it doesn't bother me."

The homers didn't bother her teammates either. They loaded the bases with two outs and brought Parrott to the plate. She fisted a short shot between third and the pitcher's circle. Ottinger dove for the ball and caught it -- not cleanly -- but enough to convince all three umpires that the inning was over.

"That really made me mad," Parrott said. "She obviously dropped the ball and that really made me mad. We should have had at least a run out of that."

Parrott struck out 14 and Fortel, the winning pitcher, struck out 12 Lady Pounders.

"I think we're just as good as them," Central catcher Kaili Crawley said. "We could have rattled them if we played a little longer."

Wilson Central rattled Ooltewah in Thursday's sixth inning, when the Lady Wildcats scored six runs and sent 10 batters to the plate.

"We need to be hustling no matter how you hit, and I anticipate hustling tomorrow," Ooltewah coach Jon Massey said. "I anticipate us playing really well tomorrow. We're going to do what we have to do to make it a long day."

Only two of the Lady Wildcats' six runs were scored as being batted in -- a bases-loaded double by Morgan Stokes (the only extra-base hit allowed by Kayla Boseman) delivered both RBIs. An error helped clear the bases.

"Our bad game is out of the way," Massey said. "We're going to play hard."

Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6484. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.

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