District 1-AA Softball
Elizabethton 5, Happy Valley 4
It was a classic match-up between two rivals with the season on the line as Jordan Grindstaff drove in Maci West across home plate to give Elizabethton a walkoff victory and a region berth.
The Lady Warriors opened the scoring when Olivia Kelly knocked in Kalee Johnson with a single. Lauren Brickey answered for EHS as she pushed in Maci Hermann.
Emily Whitaker gave Happy Valley a 2-1 lead with a solo homerun in the third, but EHS tallied three runs in the home side of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. Whitaker struck again in the top of the seventh as she hit a two-run homerun to tie the game. That set the stage of Grindstaff’s heroics in the final frame.
Happy Valley 4, Sullivan East 3 (10 innings)
The Lady Warriors had to fight off a pesky East squad to advance to the Elizabethton game, and did so in 10 innings of work.
Kalee Johnson pitched a gem as she recorded 16 strikeouts in the game as she pitched 10 complete innings. The senior also scored the winning run in the top of the 10th when she stole third then scored on a wild throw.
District 1-A Softball
University High 8, Unaka 2
The Lady Rangers were unable to eek out the second upset of the tournament to keep their season alive.
Unaka jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the first inning, but UH, who was the top-seed of the tournament, tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning. The Lady Bucs put runs on the board in the fifth and sixth to secure the win.
Erika Potter and Katlyn Weaver had RBIs to lead the Lady Rangers at the plate.
