By Michael Lindsay
It’s time to update the blue “Title Town” T-shirts in Gordonsville.
For the second consecutive season, the Gordonsville Tigerettes are the Class 1A softball state champions following an 11-1 victory over Jo Byrns in Friday’s championship game at Middle Tennessee State University.
“I don’t like to use the word dominate, but coming out and run-ruling a very good Jo Byrns team in the state championship game is a huge boost for these girls,” said Gordonsville head coach Jonathon Bush. “Our big thing coming into the state tournament was we wanted to get started early.”
Gordonsville out-hit Jo Byrns 13-1 in the victory as junior pitcher Kailey Plumlee struck out 12 batters in the six-inning game.
Plumlee and Callie Dillard each hit home runs in the victory along with a triple by catcher Bailey Stewart. Second baseman Kailyn Roberts went 2-3 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
Gordonsville opened the contest with two runs in the top of the first inning as Plumlee delivered a solo homer to right field followed by a Stewart triple to score Makenzie Herron.
Plumlee drove in another run in the bottom of the fourth as a grounder scored Christina Ray.
Jo Byrns got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning as a ground-out scored a run to make the score 3-1 entering the bottom of the fifth inning.
Gordonsville took control in the bottom of the frame as the Tigerettes scored 4 runs in the frame via doubles by Roberts Roberts and Abby Brinkley to take a 7-1 lead.
The Tigerettes wrapped up the run-rule victory in the bottom of the sixth inning as a Roberts double scored Herron followed by a Dillard 3-run homer to left field to walk off the 11-1 state championship victory.
Gordonsville outscored state tournament opponents 47-2 in 4 games. Friday was the final game for Tigerette seniors Kelsie Watts and Kelsey Haley, who finished their senior year at 33-5 overall and champions of District 7-1A, Region 4-1A and Class 1A for the second consecutive season.
“We’re excited to look at some rings,” said Bush. “You could look in the stands and over half of it was Gordonsville fans. What sports mean to our town are huge.”
