WHITWELL, Tenn. - Proof of just how far the Whitwell High School softball team has come in the past month was on display early in Wednesday's Region 3-A championship game.
Facing a team they had lost to twice in one tournament just weeks ago, the Lady Tigers made quick work of District 5 champion Silverdale Baptist Academy in a 6-1 win, earning not only the region title but home-field advantage for Friday's sectional against Watertown. The Lady Seahawks will travel to Goodpasture in another sectional Friday.
"Our kids have really grown up a lot, just in the last few weeks," Whitwell coach Rebecca Castle said. "They've got great chemistry, and our hitting up and down the lineup has been really strong. I like how we're playing together now."
After Silverdale (20-3) grabbed the lead with a run in the top of the first, Whitwell (21-9) answered with four in the home half of the inning, taking advantage of five errors and getting a big three-run hit from Anna Yell.
Carley Long, the only senior on the Lady Tigers' roster, drove in her team's fourth run in the second inning and added a solo home run in the fifth. That was more than enough support for Yell, who also earned the pitching win, allowing just three hits and striking out nine. She did not pitch against Silverdale in either of the earlier losses.
"Even though I didn't pitch against them, I had seen what they had and I knew how to pitch all of their hitters," said Yell, who will try to help her team reach the state tournament for the first time in four years. "We don't get rattled if we fall behind early. We came back from down 2-0 in our last game, and we did a good job of taking advantage of their mistakes today.
"We're really confident right now. We didn't want to have to travel several hours, but now we'll get to play in front of our fans, which should help."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.