The Green County Lady Dragons have trailed in four of their last five playoff games at some point and if we’ve learned anything from this is “Never Count Them Out.” The last team which Green County pulled a rabbit out of the hat against was Region 4 Champion Warren East in the KHSAA Softball Elite Eight and trailed after the five innings before coming back and when the score was tied at 3-3 after seven, they once again found another way to win.
Last Monday, it was Mikka Thompson, who came up with the winning RBI scoring Haley Judd against Henry County. This time, it was Tanlee Hudgins fresh back from a forced sitdown delivering a sacrific fly scoring Madi Corbin in the top of the eighth to break the tie and then sophomore rightfielder Tatum Caulk launched a deep fly ball which cleared the centerfield fence for her second home run of the season with two on to increase the Lady Dragons lead to 7-3. Of the Warren East pitcher Emma Markham’s 124-pitches, this one was the most damaging. Probably just as bad was the fact that the two plays might never have happened, but in both cases the Lady Raiders were unable to convert a popup by Hudgins and Caulk’s flyball in foul territory into outs thus preserving the tie.
Green County has used the long ball all season as a weapon and once again they did today as pitcher Kaitlyn Milby, Hudgins and Caulk all had home runs which amounted to six of the Lady Dragons runs, while Warren East relied on speed and being opportunistic. Lydia Jones double scored two runs after Addison Lee reached on a fielders choice with one out and Madison Hymer reached on a fielding error in the bottom of the fourth to go up 2-1 after Milby homered in the top of the inning.
Then after Hudgins two run shot put Green County up 3-2 in the top of the sixth, Warren East tied it up after Lee walked to open the inning and then eventually scored on Rylee Carter hit a sacrific fly to score Lee with one out.
After neither team scored in the seventh, the Lady Dragons immediately threatened when Corbin drew a leadoff walk, then Thompson singled putting runners at first and second with no outs. Milby walked to load the bases and then Hudgins hit a sacrific fly to score Corbin to make it 4-3 and then Caulk blasted a homer to make it 7-3.
The Lady Raiders were not finished as Hymer tripled to rightfield with one out and after Jones grounded out, Markham helped her cause by singling to score Hymer. With two outs, Harley Stringfield singled to move White (pinchrunner for Markham) to second. Then a single by Patterson scored White, but after Brasel was hit by a pitch, Maude Forrester popped out to end the game.
Warren East actually outhit Green County 12-to-8 and left 10 baserunners while Green County had 8-hits and left only 4. Milby got the win raising her record to 11-5, while Markham’s fell to 24-9.
Green County has reached the KHSAA Softball Final Four for the first time in their history and will face a very determined Butler team today at 2:00.
