Leath reaches 600 career strikeouts as Cavs win

Carroll County senior Emma Leath joined Sydney Nester in the 600 Strikeout Club on her way to tossing her second consecutive complete game shutout as the Lady Cavaliers cruised to a 10-0 victory over Grayson County on Monday night in Hillsville. The large crowd enjoyed the effort from start to finish as the team remained perfect on the season

Leath entered the game needing six to reach the mark and did it in style by picking up one in the first inning, two in the second inning and striking out the side in the third. The fact that the one that put her at 600 was the final out of the inning allowed for an extended window to celebrate the feat.

Leath would add two more to her total to land at 602 as the Lady Cavs’ offense ended the game early by reaching the mercy rule lead of 10-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning. The final stat line for the complete game win was eight K’s, five hits, no walks and no earned runs.

CCHS (8-0) hit the ground running in the bottom of the first inning when the first three batters reached base and scored in a four-run first frame. Addie Greene led off with a single and both Leath and Katherine Lindamood worked the court for walks to load the bases. One out later, Isabella Norman lined a shot to center field that plated the first run and Laiken Burnett, Brooke Webb and Holly Miller each picked up one RBI in the rally that included 10 Cavaliers getting to the batters box.

Grayson County led off the second inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs but Leath escaped with no damage, thanks in large part to the defense of Emma Harman and catcher Natalie Burress. Following a Blue Devil strikeout, Chasity Wilson sent a hard-hit ball in the direction of Harman, who made a clean play and fired the ball home where Natalie Burress corralled it on a short hop for the force out. Leath would snuff out the uprising with another strikeout, which turned out to be the first of four straight.

“That was a big play for us on both ends,” said Carroll County head coach Rick Nester. “Emma (Harman) getting to the ball and Natalie (Burress) making the great stab to finish it.”

No Blue Devil reached second base the remainder of the game while CCHS would go on to add runs in all five innings. The team recorded a second straight error-free effort that led to another shutout, following up the 9-0 victory Friday night at Patrick County.

The offense was opportunistic from start to finish, scoring 10 runs on just seven base hits. Discipline at the plate allowed the Lady Cavaliers to earn 10 walks in addition to reaching on one hit batter and two GCHS fielding errors. Greene, Leath and Harman each scored two runs while Miller collected two hits.

Carroll County rallied from down 8-2 in the Junior Varsity game to pull within 8-7 and had the tying run in scoring position before falling by that same score. Arizona Thompson scored three runs and Bayliegh Allen collected three base hits to lead the Cavaliers offense.

Grayson 000 00 - 0 5 2

Carroll 421 12 - 10 7 0

Phipps, Funk (3) and Phipps (GC); Leath and Burress (CC). WP - Leath. LP - Phipps. 2B - Leath (CC).