Ethel softball improved to 6-0 in Region 5-1A with two lopsided victories last week. The Lady Tigers defeated Noxapater 12-2 and French Camp 15-1, with strong pitching performances in both games.
Elena White allowed two hits and struck out seven against Noxapater in a five-inning game. Brailyn Rone led a 10-hit attack with a single, double and triple, three RBIs and two runs scored. Emily Mitchell singled, doubled and scored three times. Karli Fortenberry had two hits, scored twice and drove in two runs and White had a triple.
Brooke Mitchell pitched a five inning no-hitter against French Camp. The run she allowed was unearned, resulting from a walk and two errors. Rone homered.
The Lady Tigers concluded the week Saturday with losses against two strong teams in games at Smithville. Pontotoc, the state's top ranked 4A team with a 15-3 record, won 5-1 and Smithville, top ranked in 1A (14-3), won 8-1.
“We played a lot better against Pontotoc than we did against Smithville,” coach Tyler McKinley said. “We were lethargic that last game.”
After Pontotoc scored single runs in the first and third, Ethel cut the deficit to 2-1 with a run in the fifth on a double by White and a ground out RBI by Hadlee Fancher. A double by Brook Mitchell and an infield error put runners on first and third with two outs, but Emily Mitchell grounded out to end the inning.
Pontotoc scored three times with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Brooke Mitchell allowed nine hits and four earned runs, with three strikeouts.
Ethel took a 1-0 lead against Smithville when Meredith Moudy homered in the top of the second. But Smithville took command with six runs in the bottom of the inning. Smithville was held to five hits, but five Ethel errors resulted in seven unearned runs.
“We faced slappers. That threw us off,” McKinley said of the two losses. “That's something we haven't seen much of this year. That was something we needed to see. We'll see that in the playoffs.”
The Lady Tigers continued region play this week with a game against McAdams Tuesday and a trip to Sebastopol Thursday.
Sebastopol is second in 5-1A with the only loss against Ethel 9-3 March 22. Another Ethel victory will clinch first place in the region and a bye in the playoffs.
