Katherine Lindamood and Emma Leath shared their thoughts and emotions during their pre-game ceremony Friday and the pair proceeded to take care of business in leading Carroll County to a mercy rule 12-2 Three Rivers District victory over Floyd County.
Carroll County (14-2, 7-2) started a little slow against the Buffaloes but once they got going they were off to the races. The score was tied 0-0 until the bottom of the third inning when the Lady Cavaliers sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs.
Lead-off hitter Holly Miller started the rally off with a single and became the first of six consecutive Lady Cavaliers to reach base and touch home plate. Natalie Burress, Emma Harman and Lindamood each scored and collected an RBI during the uprising.
Leath returned to the mound in the top of the fourth inning with plenty of breathing room. The defense behind her made three consecutive nice plays and Floyd was retired in just four pitches.
Shortstop Addie Greene accounted for the seventh run all on her own. The freshman laced a triple to right field and came around to score on a wild pitch. Greene adjusted well to hitting from the three spot in the lineup, picking up two base hits and scoring three runs.
After the defense did their job in the fourth inning, Miller took it to another level in the top of the fifth. Ava DeJusus laced a sinking line drip back up the middle and Miller was all in on the attempt to catch it. The play made was fitted for a Sportscenter Top 10.
Floyd County did string together four base hits after the great play, allowing the Buffaloes to trim the lead down to 7-2. Leath snuffed out the rally by recording her eighth strikeout on the night.
Looking like the game would now go the full seven innings, the Lady Cavaliers pieced together their second big inning of the contest. Laiken Burnett led off with her second double and was chased home by a Brooke Webb single. Pinch-hitter Carlie Beamer drew a walk and one out later Leath also reached on a base on balls. Greene hit a grounder that Floyd couldn’t handle and Harman hit an infield single.
The Senior Night victory reached its storybook conclusion with Lindamood standing in the batters box. Just as her fellow senior Leath ended the top of the inning with strike three, Lindamood ended the game with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Greene gets credit for the twelfth and final run as well. The ball beat her to home plate but her ability to slide around the tag sent the home crowd home two innings early.
“Tonight we have two seniors starting out the game. Emma Leath strikes out five of the first six batters and finishes the game. We have Katherine Lindamood with the game ending sacrifice fly,” said Carroll County head coach Rick Nester. “It was a great night for both seniors. As a team, we talked about goals offensively and defensively. One of the goals was no strikeouts and tonight no one struck out at the plate. Defensively we talked about taking away hits from the opposing team. We had multiple defensive plays that took hits away. Holly Miller’s diving catch in centerfield was one of the best that I have seen, and Madison Coleman took a hit away in right field. Brooke Webb in left field had a diving catch that just barely rolled out of her glove at the end. I was really pleased with the outfield play tonight. Infield did an outstanding job, girls coming off the bench. Isabella Norman with an RBI pinch hit, Carlie Beamer battled back reaching for a walk to load the bases. Addie Green at the plate tonight was 3-for-4. Laiken Burnett had two doubles and we had multiple other girls that hit hard shots. I think this was one of the better all-around games played so far this season.”
Floyd 000 00 — 2 7 1
Carroll 006 15 — 12 11 1
Hylton and Robertson (FC); Leath and Burress (CC). 2B — Thompson (FC); Burnett (CC). 3B — Greene (CC).
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