Alec Bouchard struck out 12 batters to lead Notre Dame’s baseball team to a 2-1 victory Wednesday at Boyd Buchanan, the junior right-hander’s third straight start with at least a dozen strikeouts.
The Fighting Irish (14-8-1) scored both of their runs in the sixth, which Bouchard led off with single to left field, his first of two hits in the game. Soon after, Bouchard’s hustle helped him get to third base as Abraham Shull reached on a bunt. Ryan Eiselstein’s single drove in the first run, and a two-out fielding error provided the second.
In the sixth, Boyd Buchanan (6-7) got a double from Caden Henry, and Haden Griffith followed with a bunt single to set up Cody Johnston’s sacrifice fly. After an intentional walk to the Buccaneers’ Brodie Johnston, Bouchard locked in and struck out the final four batters of the game.
Bouchard (3-2, 1.58 ERA) allowed four hits and one walk. He has 54 strikeouts in 31 innings, which include two starts against Silverdale Baptist Academy along with starts against Marion County and Sale Creek.
LFO 12, LaFayette 9: Will Carroll was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored for Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (16-8, 9-3 GHSA Region 6-AAA). Gabe Helton added two hits and an RBI, and Peyton Tipton drove in three runs for LFO. LaFayette’s James Warthen drove in four runs on two hits, and Jathan Harding added four RBIs.
SOFTBALL
Meigs County 4, Tellico Plains 3: Lainey Fitzgerald pitched a complete game and sent the Lady Tigers to a walk-off victory as her single to left field in the extra eighth inning drove in Carlie Landers. Fitzgerald allowed one earned run and four hits with 10 strikeouts, and Sierra Howard’s two hits in the victory included a triple. Madylin Johnson and Carlee McLemore had RBIs for Meigs.
Bradley Central 2, Walker Valley 1: Tinley Cummings tripled in the bottom of the seventh, then scored the winning run when Olivia Moody’s grounder to second could not be relayed to home plate in time. Emily Hines did not allow an earned run as she retired 14 batters via flyout in a complete game, and Bailey Lockhart doubled and scored a run in the win.
TENNIS
After winning this past weekend’s 65th annual Chattanooga Rotary Tennis Tournament with five champions in singles competition and two in doubles, McCallie dominated a region matchup at Knoxville Webb. The Blue Tornado, who have a No. 1 national ranking, got shutout wins from Richy Jing and Dylan Okeff in singles, and Jing and Okeff also had an 8-2 doubles victory, as did Gabe Getz and Henry Imorde.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
The first round of the GHSA playoffs are underway. In games played Tuesday: In Class AAA, Coahulla Creek beat East Jackson 2-1, LFO lost 4-2 to Monroe Area, Ringgold lost 5-0 to Stephens County and North Murray lost 8-0 to Oconee County; in Class A public, Trion lost 8-1 to Commerce; in AAAAA, Calhoun lost 1-0 to Decatur. Other girls’ classifications will play Thursday.
Roundup reports compiled by Marty Kirkland, Patrick MacCoon and Lindsey Young. Contact them at sports@timesfreepress.com.