GRAY — Kaylea Osborne and Ava Saul combined to frustrate Dobyns-Bennett and keep Daniel Boone’s softball team tied atop the Big Four Conference.
Set to face Science Hill Friday, the Lady Trailblazers will have the chance to take sole possession of first place after Thursday’s 7-2 win over D-B.
“We started (alternating pitchers) the last three games,” Boone head coach Jeremy Jenkins said. “Our biggest weapons are those two pitchers. So why not let every team get them instead of one here and one there. We’re just throwing them both.”
After surrendering one in the top half of the game, the Lady Trailblazers (16-10, 3-1 District 1-4A) put up a crooked number in their first at-bat. A Saul double and a Kyleigh Bacon single highlighted a four-run first for Daniel Boone.
The Lady Indians (21-9, 2-3) got one in the second, but the offense was stymied by the alternating duo of Saul and Osborne. Osborne started and tossed four innings, allowing three hits and just one run, while Saul threw three frames and surrendered three hits and a run as well.
“Starting off early, neither pitcher was in a rhythm, I didn’t think,” Jenkins said. “We weren’t really getting strike one in there, and (D-B) is a tough lineup, getting the bat on the ball. But I thought we settled down and made some good plays.”
Boone added a pair in the fifth, each run on an RBI single. Anna Richardson singled home Skylar Cable and Osborne scored Sadie Henson, moving the contest to 7-2.
Jenkins believes that one his team’s biggest reasons for success with the bats was the ability to go to the opposite field.
“We’ve really harped on it, the past couple of days of practice, of going the other way,” Jenkins said. “I say we had half our hits or more the other way, especially (Henson), she had two hits to right.
“Really try to go the other way, because people have really been hammering us away, and our kids did a really good job of that.”
Riley Croley, Josie Jenkins, Saul and Henson tallied two hits each for the Lady Trailblazers.
“Our kids seem to be playing well at the right time,” Jenkins said. “When that happens, you can trust the buddy that is playing beside you. Our girls really pick up each other and hold each other accountable. We’re still just trying to catch outs, throw strikes and put the ball in play.”
Allie McConnelee went 2-for-3 to lead the Lady Indians. Hailey Porter and Sophie Dean both doubled, with McConnelee and Julianne Tipton each driving in a run. Dean had one strikeout and went the distance in the circle.
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