Two days after winning the most important game in Elizabethtown Softball history, pitcher Taytum Spiers took the circle against McCracken County in the first round of the KHSAA State Fastpitch Softball Tournament in Lexington, KY. Although the eighth-grader nearly went the distance, she wasn’t able to control the powerful Lady Mustangs for long as one of the highest scoring offenses in the state finally put the Lady Panthers Dream Season to rest, 9-6 in the first round at John Cropp Stadium.
Elizabethtown did jump on McCracken County starter Ally Hutchins early for a couple of runs and held a 3-1 lead after three innings until the Lady Mustangs kept chipping away and finally reclaimed the lead and never gave it back despite some fifth inning action to make things tight.
Spiers allowed 13-hits and nine-runs in a little over six-innings of work while throwing 142-pitches finally giving way to Kylie McKinney needing two outs to close out the top of the seventh. The Lady Panthers got things going quickly after Spiers retired the Lady Mustangs in the top of the first when Spiers singled (and was pich ran for) and Natalie Shaw walked then both came home on a double by Alyssa Philpot to make it 2-0, E-Town.
McCracken County got one back when Hutchins singled (then was pinch ran for) and eventually came home on Annie White’s single. The Lady Panthers got another run when Hannah Riley opened with a single and eventually scored on Philpot’s second double to make it 3-1 after three-innings
.
Then things changed big time when Hutchins singled again to open the fourth (was pinch ran for) and eventually scored when Annie White reached on a fielding error to make it 3-2. Then after the pinch runner reached second and scored on Isabella Story’s single to make it a 3-3 tie.
After Raygan Rodgers reached on a fielder’s choice, she would eventually score to put McCracken County ahead for good, 4-3. The Lady Mustangs would get three more in the top of the fifth, the biggest blow was Fox’s lead off blast. Now trailing 7-3, the Lady Panthers could have packed it in, but they came out swinging in the bottom of the fifth. After Elizabethtown loaded the bases with no outs, two runs came home on Elizabeth Schwemmer’s singled scoring two runs ( a third run came home on a throwing error) and cut in the lead to make it 7-6 with two innings left. McCracken County added two more when Rhea-Lee Joiner singled to center scoring two and making it 9-6 which is how the game ended. Hutchins got the win going five innings allowing 8-hits and 5-earned runs, striking out 13-batters and throwing 115-pitches. Spiers when 6.1 innings allowing 13-hits, 7-earned runs and 7-strikeouts while throwing 142 -pitches. Riley had three hits while Philpot and Schmidt had two each in the loss. Elizabethtown’s season ended at 30-9 and should be ready to go next season with plenty of talent remaining.
Many thanks to Scheena Schmidt for photos
