CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. – It’s a luxury when a high school softball team has more than one ace pitcher. In Class A, it’s also a rarity.
Gordon Lee, however, has an embarrassment of riches in the circle this season. Thursday, for example, sophomore Kalei Kimbrell showed why she could start for several other schools with a complete-game 5-2 win over Region 6 rival Trion.
Kimbrell worked six perfect innings – the first three and the final three. She allowed all three Trion hits in the fourth, including a two-run homer by first baseman Morgan Blanchard. Otherwise, she was untouchable, striking out nine and walking none to improve to 3-0.
“She did well,” said Gordon Lee coach Dana Mull, who also relies on junior pitcher Brenna Nation (6-0). “We wanted to get her out here in a region game and get her some experience. She kept her composure after making that one bad pitch in the fourth. Overall she did a good job and kept them off balance.”
Offensively, the Lady Trojans (9-0) had runners in every inning and left 10 on base. They did, however, get a run in the first when Kendall Johnson, who doubled, scored on a wild pitch, and three in the third, two scoring in Kelsie Bickett’s double.
“There are a few little things we could have done to break that game open several times, but we didn’t do it,” Mull said. “Next time we want to jump on them and keep them down. We hit some balls hard, but right at them.”
Junior second baseman Sam Taylor had three of the Lady Trojans’ seven hits. Having been on two consecutive state runner-up teams, Taylor has only one goal in mind this year, and she believes the team’s pitchers will make it come true.
“Our pitching is really strong and hopefully it can lead us to the state, where we can finish it this year and bring home a trophy,” Taylor said. “We don’t like second. We want a ring this year, and this is the team to get it.”