Kilgore's blast sparks Sequatchie softball win

Staff Photo by Doug Strickland/Chattanooga Times Free Press - Gloves lie in a pile in the Lady Trojan Invitational softball tournament Friday, March 29, 2013, in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.
Staff Photo by Doug Strickland/Chattanooga Times Free Press - Gloves lie in a pile in the Lady Trojan Invitational softball tournament Friday, March 29, 2013, in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.

DUNLAP, Tenn. - Amber Kilgore hadn't even set foot on a softball field in more than a month. But all it took was one swing for the Sequatchie County junior to feel right back at home.

Kilgore, who had injured her right knee on April 1, came on as a pinch-hitter in the second inning with the number-nine spot due up, the bases loaded, two outs and her team needing some early offensive help. She jumped on the first pitch she saw, drilling a two-run single off the top of the left-center-field fence.

That kick-started the offense as the Lady Indians beat Chattanooga Christian 6-1 for the District 7-AA tournament championship.

"I had kind of mixed emotions when Coach (Kelly Somerville) yelled over for me to come in," Kilgore said. "I had already decided that my season was over and I wouldn't get to play again after I got hurt.

"I wasn't planning on swinging at the first pitch, but it looked so good I had to. I started to round first and run toward second, but the coaches were yelling for me to stay where I was and take it easy. I felt good to get to be back out there and help the team again."

While those first two runs were all the offense Lady Indians pitcher Shiann Stockwell would need, more support came with an unearned run in the third and three more in the fifth on an inside-the-park home run by Michaela Newman and a two-run triple from Hannah Knight.

Stockwell allowed just three singles and struck out 13 as the Lady Indians (20-14) claimed their third straight district tourney title. They will host a region semifinal Monday, while CCS will travel.

"It might be three straight for the program, but for eight of our kids it's their first and for three more it's their last, so it's more about how hard this team worked to win this one," Somerville said. "Of our 16 kids we've had 11 who were injured at some point in the season. Some came back and some haven't.

"I had told Amber that I'd let her dress but I had no intention of letting her play unless we had the right situation with runners on and needed her bat. She's used to being in pressure situations. so that was when we really needed her, and she came through."

Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.

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