A wild one went the way of Cloudland on Tuesday night.
The Lady ‘Landers outlasted Unaka in a nine-inning battle to take an 11-10 victory in the opening round of the District 1-A tournament on Stoney Creek.
With the win, Cloudland advances to take on North Greene into Wednesday’s winner’s bracket finale while Unaka moves into a Wednesday elimination game against University High.
Unaka took an early lead as Mollie Buckles hit a single to plate Haley Taylor, while Kaitlyn Dugger drew a walk that allowed Taylor Grindstaff to touch home plate.
Mattie Salyer hit a single to plate Jill Faust as Unaka took a 3-0 lead after the top of the first.
Cloudland got a run back in the bottom of the first as Saharra McKinney scored after Ryan Turbyfill put the ball in play.
The Lady Rangers put a run on the board in the top of the second as Faust hit a triple to score Taylor. McKinney answered for Cloudland in the home side of the frame as the senior hit a triple that allowed Bethany Sluder and Eowyn McKinney to score. CHS pulled within 4-3 after two complete innings.
Neither team was able to get anything going in the third inning.
Unaka pushed the lead out to 6-3 in the top of the fourth as Grindstaff hit a triple to score Alisha Harrell while Grindstaff crossed home plate off a Faust single.
In the bottom of the fifth, Cloudland closed the gap as Turbyfill scored off Layken Blair’s single and CHS pulled within a run in the bottom of the sixth when Savannah McCoury scored off an Izabella Christman single.
Unaka added a run in the seventh as Dugger crossed home plate off a Salyer double to give UHS a 7-5 lead.
Cloudland, however, battled back.
With one out, Peyton Preswood drew a walk to get the tying run to the plate, while E. McCoury also drew a walk to represent the tying run on base. McKinney hit a bases-clearing double to tie the game at 7-7 and force extra innings.
Extra innings were a back-and-forth affair.
Unaka plated two runs in the eighth as Harrell and Taylor scored, but CHS countered as Turbyfill and Christman scored to force an extra inning.
After the Lady Rangers saw Kimberly Profitt scored on a Harrell single, Cloudland went back to work.
With two outs, Turbyfill was intentionally walked to give CHS baserunners on first and second. Blair hit a single to score S. McCoury to tie things up and Reagan Turbyfill hit a single that scored Ry. Turbyfill to give Cloudland the walkoff win.
McKinney led Cloudland as she went 4-for-6 with four RBI, while Blair had two hits and two RBI. Christman and Ry. Turbyfill had two hits apiece.
Salyer led Unaka as she went 4-for-5 with two RBI, while Faust had two hits and two RBI. Grindstaff had two RBI.
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