By Michael Lindsay
The White County Warriorettes improved to 2-0 in District 7-3A softball action Tuesday evening as they won at Livingston Academy, 13-9.
Tuesday’s game was tied at 2-2 after five innings before the teams combined for 18 runs in the final two.
“We came out in those final innings and really hit the ball,” said White County head coach Jerry Roberts. “The bottom of our lineup really hit and I’m really proud of them.”
Shortstop Kylie Norvell led White County at the plate as she went 3-4 with a home run, a double, 3 RBIs and a run scored. Anna McCulley went 2-4 with a double, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored while Addison Howell went 2-4 with a home run, 2 runs scored and an RBI.
Bailey Hutchison and Kendall Simpson led Livingston Academy at the dish as they each hit a home run. Hutchison went 2-4 with 4 RBIs, a run scored and a double as well.
Norvell opened the contest with a 2-run home run to left in the top of the first inning to give the Warriorettes a 2-0 advantage.
Livingston answered with a Hutchison double in the bottom of the third and a Jaycee Collins single in the fifth to tie the game at 2 runs each entering the sixth inning.
The bats came to life in the top of the sixth as the Warriorettes scored six runs in the frame. Callie Phillips opened the scoring with a bases-clearing double followed by a McCulley double and a Kami Clark single to give Sparta an 8-2 lead.
Livingston answered in the bottom of the sixth via singles by Calla Pierce and Simpson to score a run each before Hutchison deposited a 3-run homer to right, bringing Livingston within a run at 8-7 entering the seventh.
White County went to work in the top of the seventh as the Warriorettes scored 5 runs with two outs to take a 13-7 lead. McCulley started the rally with a single to score Jada Wright followed by a Livingston error and double from Miah Jo Swindell to score three runs. Norvell tacked on another run via a single to make the score 13-7 entering the bottom of the seventh.
Pierce hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to pull Livingston within 4 runs with no outs, but LA got no closer as White County retired the final three batters in order to seal their 13-9 victory.
“We’re 2-0 in the district with two big road wins,” said Roberts. “That’s a good softball team; we have a lot of confidence right now. We’ll get a day off then get back at it.”
Up next for White County is another District 7-3A matchup as they host Cumberland County while Livingston is scheduled to play at Dekalb County.
