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Sale Creek, Whitwell cruise into Class A state softball tournament [photos]

Sale Creek head softball coach Clifford Kirk, seated and conferring pregame with assistant coach Eric Sullivan, missed the majority of the regular season with his team because of a broken hip he suffered the first week of the season. He's been back with his team since the winners-bracket final of the District 5-A tournament, and plans to be with the group next week in Murfreesboro at the state tournament.
Sale Creek head softball coach Clifford Kirk, seated and conferring pregame with assistant coach Eric Sullivan, missed the majority of the regular season with his team because of a broken hip he suffered the first week of the season. He's been back with his team since the winners-bracket final of the District 5-A tournament, and plans to be with the group next week in Murfreesboro at the state tournament. Sale Creek head softball coach Clifford Kirk, seated and conferring pregame with assistant coach Eric Sullivan, missed the majority of the regular season with his team because of a broken hip he suffered the first week of the season. He's been back with his team since the winners-bracket final of the District 5-A tournament, and plans to be with the group next week in Murfreesboro at the state tournament.

By Kelley Smiddie 2 min read

Sale Creek’s Macie Stanfield pitched a no-hitter, Whitwell’s Anna Yell pitched a one-hitter and their teams were victorious in their TSSAA Class A softball state sectionals Saturday evening.

The Lady Panthers defeated North Greene 8-0 at Sale Creek, and the Lady Tigers beat Moore County 2-0 at Whitwell.

The only thing that prevented Stanfield from pitching a perfect game was an error on a ball that was squibbed off the bat handle and took a reckless spin in the infield dirt with two out in the fourth inning.

“She threw lights out,” Sale Creek assistant coach Eric Sullivan said of Stanfield, who had 14 strikeouts. “She mixed her offspeed stuff in really well today.”

The Lady Panthers (33-5), who will make their second state-tournament appearance, spotted Stanfield a 3-0 lead after she struck out the side in order in the first inning. Leah Campbell then had an RBI single and Stanfield had an RBI double in the second. Hannah Hall drew a bases-loaded walk in the third, and the last two runs scored on Trinity Liner’s sixth-inning double.