JASPER, Tenn. — Having split a pair of one-run nailbiters during the regular season, the Marion County and South Pittsburg softball teams knew any offensive breathing room figured to be huge in Thursday’s District 6-A championship game.
Five batters into the third inning, Marion had more than enough insurance.
The Lady Warriors pushed four runs across the plate before an out was recorded in the home half of the third, then added two runs in each of their final two at-bats to defeat their county rivals 8-0.
Sophomore Kelsey Thomas kept the Lady Pirates off balance all evening, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh before Nakia Collier singled to lead off the inning. That was the only hit Thomas allowed.
“It was real important to get those early runs for our confidence,” said Thomas, who struck out four. “It calmed us down and changed how I pitched since we had such a big lead.”
Marion (31-12), which has won 14 straight games, will host Silverdale Baptist in Monday’s Region 3-A semifinals at 6 p.m. EDT, while South Pittsburg visits District 5 champion Grace Academy at 7.
Brooke Baxter’s RBI double got the Lady Warriors on the board and Heather Richards followed with a run-scoring hit before Cassi Pickett plated two with a hit. Thomas added an RBI in the fifth and South Pittsburg, which was coming off a 1-0 win over Lookout Valley in the losers-bracket final, was unable to mount a rally.
“With the way the first two games had gone, it was huge to get that big early lead,” Marion coach Thomas Long said. “We expected it to be another struggle, but once we jumped out on them early, it was a relief.
“We have a good group of hitters throughout our lineup, and Kelsey did a great job of hitting her spots and keeping the ball down. She has a lot of faith in her defense behind her.”