Late rallies hurt Central in opening-round defeat

Central's Brooke Parrott pitches during their prep softball game against Red Bank at Central High School on Thursday, April 20, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Central's Brooke Parrott pitches during their prep softball game against Red Bank at Central High School on Thursday, April 20, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - There have been times this high school softball season in which Central scored a run and pitcher Brooke Parrott made it hold up.

The Lady Purple Pounders' opening game at the Class AA state tournament didn't turn out to be another of them.

Creek Wood staged a comeback with two late three-run innings and defeated Central 6-1 Tuesday at McKnight Park. Central (28-10) will play Dyersburg (25-13) at 12:30 p.m. EDT today at Starplex No. 2.

With one on and one out in the fifth inning for Creek Wood (30-13), an error not only allowed another runner to reach safely but also brought up the top of the order. Analeigh Coursey's triple made it 2-1, and an out later she scored on Jase Jackson's flare single to center.

Kensli Douthit and winning pitcher Bailey Griffith each homered with one out in the seventh, with the Lady Pounders' other error occurring in between. Griffith had 12 strikeouts, hit one batter and walked three.

Central coach LeeAnne Shurette said there were other defensive lapses in the outfield that weren't errors. She also commended Parrott, who allowed seven hits, struck out nine and walked two, and added that it would have helped to have gotten more called strikes on the inside corner at the knees.

"They adjusted," Shurette said of the Lady Red Hawks. "I have to give it to them."

Central scored in the first, beginning with Ina Henderson drawing a walk. Parrott singled with one out, and Tatum Morgan's two-out single drove in the run.

Although they still led 1-0 at the end of four innings, six Lady Pounders ended up being stranded over the first three.

"The first couple of innings, we had runners on base and couldn't get them in," Shurette said.

They also had a runner reach with one out in the fourth, got the first batter on in the fifth and the first two reached in the seventh with the heart of the order coming up.

"I thought if everybody did their job at the plate, we could come back," Shurette said.

Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.

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