KINGS MOUNTAIN — Though with only 21 at-bats this spring, Kings Mountain softball coach Kevin Cruise had a hunch senior reserve player Desirae Thombs would play a role in the team’s NCHSAA 3A West semifinal with East Rowan.
“It’s funny; I walked to her (at the start of the seventh inning) and said ‘(Thombs), get your bat and get ready, you’re going to get a swing at it,’” Cruise said.
Thombs made the most of her opportunity Friday, an infield base hit with the bases loaded bringing in the only run of a 1-0 Kings Mountain victory over East Rowan.
“Coaches told me ‘no pressure,’ and I let it all go and did what I knew how to do,” Thombs said.
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After Maddie Huffman flew out to center to start the Kings Mountain half of the seventh, Kayla McSwain’s flare to left field dropped for a base hit. McSwain hustled to second on the play, eluding the tag of East Rowan shortstop Lilly Kluttz in the process. Paige Fleming and Cheyanne Reynolds followed by reaching via walks, bringing Thombs to the plate with the bases loaded and one out.
Three pitches into the at-bat, Thombs’ hard grounder was smothered by East Rowan first baseman Eleni Miller, but not before McSwain scored the game-winning run.
“It didn’t feel like I got as much as I wanted to, but it did enough,” she said. “This feels amazing, it feels like a dream. I’m so proud of myself and everyone on this team.”
For Kings Mountain, it was their second win in as many nights after its third-round matchup with Foard was postponed to Thursday due to inclement weather. The skies failed to cooperate again on Friday, halting play for more than 30 minutes due to a torrential downpour.
None of it bothered either starting pitcher, however. East Rowan’s Madalynn Tigert pitched 6 ⅓ innings, allowing a run on four hits with five strikeouts. Not to be outdone, Kings Mountain’s Huffman went seven innings, allowing no runs on four hits with 14 strikeouts.
In the past two games, Huffman has struck out 31 opposing batters, both ironically in hard-fought 1-0 victories.
“I can’t say enough about (Huffman) and the effort she put in back-to-back nights,” Cruise said. “You see in the seventh when (East Rowan) moved a runner into scoring position; she locked down, locked in and got after it. That's just who she is.”
In addition to McSwain and Thombs, Kali Weaver and Cheyanne Reynolds had hits for Kings Mountain.
The Lady Mountaineers (22-0) advance to take on either top-ranked Oak Grove or No. 4 Piedmont in next week’s 3A West championship series. Game 1 is scheduled for Tuesday night.
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