by Rusty Ellis
Smith County-Watertown
CARTHAGE – The Smith County Owls took their first loss of the season on Monday, as they fell in a top-10 battle to Watertown 4-0.
The Purple Tigers struck in the first inning for a run off an RBI single from Cyrus Bennett, and two more runs came across in the third thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Bennett and an RBI single from Shaun Potter.
Smith County put some of their best rallies together in the third, fifth and sixth innings, as an error on a ball hit by Riley Martin and a single from Kylan Johnson put two on with just one out in the third. A strikeout and flyout ended the inning with no runs, however.
The fifth saw the Owls put runners at the corners with two outs, but a Bennett Gammon groundout ended the threat. Finally, Wyatt Claywell gave Smith County some life with a two-out triple in the sixth, but he was stranded there on a Max Long flyout.
Zeb Major earned the win for the Purple Tigers with six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Gammon took the tough loss for the Owls, throwing a complete-game with four earned runs allowed on six hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
The two teams are scheduled to play on Tuesday at Watertown, with weather permitting, at 6 P.M.
Smith County-Trousdale County
CARTHAGE – Three runs in the first and two more in the second created a hole too deep for the Lady Owls to climb out of, as they fell to Trousdale County 15-2 on Monday night.
Emma Holder’s RBI double, Bailey Hines’ RBI single and Aubrie Wemple’s fielder’s choice drove home the runs in the first inning off of Smith starter Chloe Collins, and Taren Simmons and Holder each drove in a run in the second to make it 5-0.
The Lady Owls battled back in the third with both of their runs, thanks to a an error on a Maddi Kemp grounder and an Abby Woodard RBI double, but Trousdale added 10 more runs across the fourth and fifth innings to put the game away by a 15-2 count.
Maddie Lee earned the win for Trousdale by pitching five innings of two-run ball in the circle, as she allowed just five hits and two walks while striking out eight.
Collins took the loss with 3.2 innings with nine runs (six earned) allowed on nine hits, four walks and just one strikeout.
Smith County is scheduled to face Watertown on Tuesday, weather permitting, at 5:30 P.M.
