WHITWELL, Tenn. - From top to bottom in the lineup, the Whitwell batters decided they had waited long enough. With a chance to win the District 6-A softball championship for the first time in three years, the Lady Tigers wasted no time taking control.
Their first four hitters collected singles on the way to a five-run first inning that led Whitwell to a 7-0 win over rival Marion County, setting off a long and loud celebration on the field.
"It was really big to get those early runs, especially for my confidence," said sophomore pitcher Anna Yell, who allowed just three hits and was named the tournament's MVP. "Our bats have been big all year, and that really helps. It means a lot to beat them in front of our fans to win the district."
Carley Long and Raylon Smith had two-run singles in the first inning, and Camryn Haag also plated a run with a hit.
Caitlyn Rollins and Tessa Green had RBI singles in the fifth to cap the scoring. A total of six Lady Tigers finished with at least two hits as they pounded out 15 as a team, but only Sydney Perkins' double went for extra bases.
"They had to come out and prove to everybody that they could get this done," said Whitwell coach Rebecca Castle. "We've got a solid team, not just one or two players, and we've put up quite a few runs and good numbers all year.
"Anna did her job. She was solid and let her defense make plays behind her. We'll take those fly balls and groundouts all game long."
Whitwell (18-8) has won 14 of its last 16 games and will host Arts & Sciences in a Region 3-A semifinal Monday at 6 p.m. EDT. Marion County will travel to District 5 champion Silverdale Baptist.
Marion had scored in the first inning in three of four previous district tournament games before Yell shut them down Thursday.
"Nobody expected us to even be here, so even though I'm disappointed that we lost today, I'm really proud of the way our girls fought to get here," Marion coach Randy Ellis said. "Whitwell is pretty dominant. They're a complete team without a lot of weaknesses. They hit the ball really well and play solid defense."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.