The Elizabethton softball team came up short in the opening round of the District 1-3A Tournament on Friday evening.
The No. 3 Lady Cyclones were unable to answer an early Unicoi County run as EHS fell 1-0 to the No. 2 Lady Blue Devils at David Crockett.
With the loss, Elizabethton moves into Monday’s elimination game against Tennessee High at 7:30p on Monday. Unicoi County advanced to take on No. 1 David Crockett in the winner’s bracket final.
After Elizabethton was unable to get anything going in the first, Unicoi County took a 1-0 lead as Aaliyah Engle scored off a Lela Byrd double.
EHS saw Paige Bennett reach base in the second, but the Lady Cyclones were unable to move the runner into scoring position. The Lady Cyclones also Mikinna Blackwell reach base in the fourth, but EHS was unable to even the score.
In the top of the sixth, Jozey Reece opened the frame by reaching base on a dropped third strike, and Kaitlyn Gryder singled to move Reece into scoring position. The Lady Cyclones, however, were unable to plate the run and rally late.
Gryder had the lone hit for Elizabethton. In the pitching circle, Lacey Gobble allowed just one earned run on six hits with nine strikeouts.
Engle went 2-for-3 to lead Unicoi, while Byrd recorded 15 strikeouts.