Rebelettes drop district contest at Giles County

Franklin County head softball coach Kelly Kennedy said that while her team’s overall skill level has improved over the past year, the loss to Giles County demonstrated a need to maintain a scrappy attitude.

“Even if we’re executing skills well, we also still have to have a level of scrappiness in the way that we play. We have to make those diving plays. We’ve got to make those double plays. We’ve got to lay the bunt down in the box and move that runner over,” she said, adding that Giles County was the scrappier team for the day. “I think that there’s a lesson in that for our team, and I hope that the girls take that away.”

Giles County’s leadoff batter opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first with a solo home run over the right-field fence, and the Lady Bobcats added two more runs to their tally in the bottom of the second to grow the early deficit to 3-0.

Consecutive two-out singles from Addison Partin and Kaylee Morris in the top of the third gave the Rebelettes a few baserunners, but a groundout ended the inning before they could be brought around to score.

The deficit tripled in the bottom of the third as the Lady Bobcats pushed six runs across in the frame to make it a 9-0 game.

The Lady Bobcats got the final run they needed to end the contest in the bottom of the fifth as their leadoff batter for the inning bunted for a single, stole second, moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt and raced home on a sacrifice fly to set the final deficit at 10.

Dalayna Marshall pitched the first 2 2-3 innings for the Rebelettes with one strikeout, seven hits, two walks, three earned runs and four unearned runs allowed for the day.

Victoria Nelson pitched the remaining two innings with one strikeout, three hits, three walks, one earned run and two unearned runs allowed.

With the loss, the Rebelettes moved to 5-9 on the season and 3-3 in district play.

They will next play Monday at home against Whitwell High School. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.