A dramatic 1-0 victory Monday gave Ethel softball a sweep of two games with Union.
The Lady Tigers were held hitless by Union pitcher Alanee Wheeler for 6.1 innings before Jamison Johnson homered over the left field fence, her first round tripper.
“Jamison had not gotten ahold of one all year,” said coach Tyler McKinley.
Second baseman Lizzy Rae Ellington throws out a runner at first.
Jeff Parks / The Star-Herald
Brooke Mitchell pitched the shutout, allowing four hits. She had only one strikeout, but her team played well behind her. “Our defense was amazing,” McKinley said. “It was like a playoff game. It was a lot of fun.”
Two days earlier, Ethel defeated Union 5-2 behind the pitching of Elena White who allowed two hits and no earned runs, with six strikeouts. “That's the best I've seen Elana pitch all year. She handled it well,” McKinley said.
Pitcher Elena White fires a first inning strike.
Jeff Parks / The Star-Herald
The Lady Tigers scored single runs in five innings. “We didn't hit that well, but we were able to scratch out some runs. We were able to move runners along.”
Shortstop Hadlee Fancher throws out a baserunner at first.
Jeff Parks / The Star-Herald
The Lady played Region 5-1A opponent Noxapater Tuesday and has a region game at French Camp Thursday. The Lady Tigers will play in a tournament at Smithville Saturday with games against Pontotoc and the host team.
Ethel is the state’s fifth ranked 1A team according to the website MaxPreps. Prior to the Noxapater game, the Lady Tigers led 5-1A with a 4-0 record.
