By Michael Lindsay
The DeKalb County Tigerettes (23-5-1) will be making the 36-mile trip to Murfreesboro this week for the Class 3A state softball tournament following Saturday’s 6-2 win over Lenoir City in the sectional round.
Tigerette senior lefty Kora Kilgore struck out 15 batters in the sectional victory while allowing 3 hits and no walks. Kilgore helped herself at the plate as she went 2-3 with a double and an RBI. Tatum Young went 3-3 with a run scored, stolen base and an RBI for the Tigerettes.
Kilgore struck out 8 of the first 9 Lenoir City batters while the Tigerettes scored a run in the bottom of the second and third innings to lead 2-0 after three. Neither team found home during the fourth and fifth innings, but DeKalb County added four insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on singles from Zayleigh Bain and Young along with a Kilgore sacrifice fly to take a 6-0 lead.
Lenoir City didn’t go away as the Lady Panthers scored two runs in the top of the seventh before Kilgore struck out the final batter to clinch the 9th state tournament berth in program history and first since 2016.
DeKalb County is scheduled to face McNairy Central (24-8) in game one on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at McKnight Park #1.
