John Battle High School suffered a 9-3 loss to the Tazewell Bulldogs in the first round of the Region 2D softball tournament on Thursday in what turned out to be the final game at the helm of the Trojans for head coach Hannah Light Cress.
Cress resigned after four seasons on the job and cited family reasons for the move. She has two young children, Addi and Cam, and is going to spend more time with them.
Cress was an ace pitcher at Coeburn High School and King University prior to entering the coaching profession.
“As much as I love being a softball coach, I love being a mom that much more,” Cress said. “As much as it hurts my heart, my kids need me to be present in their life, more than I need to be on a softball field right now.”
Tazewell freshman Carly Compton struck out 15 in spinning a four-hitter in Tazewell’s triumph.
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Mallorie Whitaker went 3-for-4 with four RBIs to lead Tazewell (17-3), while Maddie Gillespie and Haley Reynolds supplied two hits apiece.
Charleigh Gobble homered for Battle.
Richlands 10, Ridgeview 0
Every player aims to be on top of their game in the postseason and Erica Lamie certainly was on Thursday.
The Richlands High School pitcher twirled a five-inning no-hitter as the Blue Tornado recorded a victory over the Ridgeview Wolfpack in the first round of the VHSL Region 2D softball tournament.
Lamie struck out six and allowed just two baserunners, walking Maggie Grant and plunking Braelynn Strouth with a pitch.
Rachael Rife (3-for-4, three RBIs), Alyssa Lee (2-for-3, three runs), Alyssa Whitt (two hits) and Chloe Perkins (two RBIs) played well as the Blues pounded out 11 hits.
Richlands plays Wise County Central in next week’s regional semifinals.
Northwood 2, Rural Retreat 1
Outfielder Karlee Frye caught a deep flyball and doubled off the baserunner at second base to end the game as Northwood recorded a win over Rural Retreat in the third-place game of the Hogoheegee District tournament.
Maddie Lowe had three of Northwood’s seven hits and scored both runs for the Panthers, who secured a spot in the Region 1D tournament. She was drive in on a RBI hit by Cami DeBusk in the first inning and raced home on a passed ball in the second inning.
DeBusk pitched a two-hitter with four strikeouts, while Sydney Carter supplied two hits in the win.
Candace Miller scored Rural Retreat’s lone run. The Indians got the first two batters on in the top of the seventh inning, but DeBusk escaped the jam on two flyouts, including the game-ending double play.
Wise Central 7, Marion 1
Lexie Baker had two hits and Bayleigh Allison pitched a five-hitter as Wise County Central had little trouble with Marion in the first round of the VHSL Region 2D tournament.
Taylor Cochran’s two runs and Emily Sturgill’s two RBIs were also key for the Warriors.
Ella Grace Moss scored the lone run for Marion, which lost in the first round of the regional tourney for the second straight year.
Gate City 8, Virginia High 0, susp.,
rain, 4th inning
The first-round Region 2D tournament game between the Blue Devils and Bearcats was suspended with one out in the top of the fourth inning and will be resumed today.
Lebanon 9, Patrick Henry 2
Madison Hill went 2-for-3 with two doubles and five RBIs to highlight Lebanon’s pounding of Patrick Henry in the finals of the Hogoheegee District tournament.
Erin Rasnake pitched a three-hitter for Lebanon, which overcame four errors.
Sydney Taylor drove in a run and scored a run for PH.
BASEBALL
Virginia High 4, Lee High 1
The ace of Virginia High’s pitching staff and the productive leadoff batter were the stars as the Bearcats opened the Region 2D tournament with a win.
Isaac Berry struck out eight in tossing a complete-game three-hitter, while Brody Jones went 3-for-3 with a run scored and RBI in the victory over Lee High at DeVault Stadium.
Jones, Cooper McVey and Ty Weaver scored the runs for the Bearcats.
VHS will play either Tazewell or John Battle in next week’s semifinals. Battle hosts Tazewell today at 6:30 p.m.
Luke Parsons threw a complete-game four-hitter with five strikeouts for Lee. Bryce Moritz had the lone run for the Generals with the team’s hits coming from Brennon Ely, Jacob Leonard and Parsons.
Wise Central 2, Richlands 1
Preston Joyner’s two-run homer in the fourth inning and Robbie Wilson’s pitching prowess highlighted a first-round Region 2D tournament win for the Warriors of Wise County Central.
Central trailed 1-0 with Tyson Tester went on base when Joyner went yard against Richlands starter Ben Hale.
Wilson struck out 11 in a complete-game three-hitter. It was his eighth victory of 2022, establishing a single-season program record.
Hale struck out six in allowing two runs on three hits in five innings.
Jake Gillespie drove in the only run for Richlands. Gillespie, C.J. Earls and Dylan Brown had the team’s three hits against Wilson. Central plays Gate City in next week’s regional semifinals.
Chilhowie 10, Holston 0
Daniel Hutton pitched a one-hit shutout and also went 2-for-2 at the plate as Chilhowie hammered Holston in the third-place game of the Hogoheegee District tournament and clinched a Region 1D tourney bid.
Hutton allowed a hit to Jake Bott, the second batter of the game, but dominated the rest of the way. He struck out four in improving his record to 6-4 and was helped by a defense that played flawlessly.
Connor Smith (two doubles, three RBIs) and Zac Hall (three hits, two RBIs) also played well for the Warriors, who scored six runs in the second inning to seize control.
Chilhowie (10-12) travels to Black Diamond District champion Honaker on Tuesday in a regional quarterfinal game.
Lebanon 7, Rural Retreat 0
Lebanon was declared the winner of the Hogoheegee District tournament after rain washed out the title game following one inning.
The Pioneers led 7-0 in the first inning when the rain intensified and officials decided to call the contest since both teams had already clinched regional tournament bids.
GIRLS SOCCER
Union 10, Marion 1
Emma Hemphill was a scoring machine and Peyton Davis was dishing out assists as Union overwhelmed Marion in the first round of the Region 2D tournament.
Hemphill finished with five goals, while Davis doled out six assists to go along with her two goals.
Isabella Blagg, Shay Henderson and Jordan Shuler also found the back of the net. Goalkeeper Gracie Gibson made 11 saves.
BOYS SOCCER
Lebanon 8, Rural Retreat 0
Grayson Olson scored three goals to lead the way for Lebanon as the unbeaten Pioneers rolled past Rural Retreat in the finals of the Hogoheegee District tournament.
Carter Dillon added two goals for the Pioneers, while Eli Taylor, JayJay Johnson and Emmitt Breeding also found the back of the net.
Graham 9, Lee High 1
The Graham G-Men kept their record perfect intact by pummeling the Generals of Lee High in the first round of the Region 2D tournament.
Dennis Thomas, Ethan Aiello and Ben Morgan scored two goals apiece for the defending region champs, while Blake Graham, Ethan Church and Harrison Knowles also scored as the team from Bluefield improved to 14-0.
William Byrd 4, Abingdon 1
Tyler Rogers had Abingdon’s lone goal as the Falcons fell in the opening round of the VHSL Region 3D tournament.
The Falcons had won the Mountain 7 District tournament two days earlier with a 9-1 win over Wise County Central as Rylan Kreps, Corey Britt and James Whitted scored two goals apiece.
However, the Falcons were topped by the Terriers on Thursday.
GIRLS TENNIS
Region 2D Semifinals
John Battle 5, Graham 0
Anna McKee def. Jordan Lambert, 6-0, 6-0; Kennedy Jenkins def. Riley Gibson, 6-0, 6-1; Addie Reedy def. Kaley Carr, 6-0, 6-1; Claire Kreitzer def. Sydney Gasperson, 6-0, 6-0; Makenzie Smith def. Ella Webb, 6-0, 6-0.
Notes: John Battle hosts the Region 2D finals today at 2 p.m.
Wise Central 5, Marion 3
Singles
Parker White (M) def. Jaida Meade, 6-0, 6-1; Maddie Austin (M) def. Montana Stafford, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5; Emilee Mullins (WC) def. Kelsey Grubb, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1; Makenna Powers (WC) def. Ava Kate Graham, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5; Angelina Hughes (WC) def. Bailey Russell, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Ella Taylor (WC) def. Sarah Myers, 6-1, 6-4.
Doubles
White-Grubb (M) def. Meade-Mullins, 6-1, 6-1; Hughes-R. Taylor (WC) def. Graham-Myers, 6-3, 6-2.
Region 3D Semifinals
Abingdon 5, Hidden Valley 0
Singles
Lauren Wimmer def. Emerson Bartley, 6-0, 6-0; Grayson Woodall def. Reagan Pyle, 6-0, 6-3; Wrenn Rainero def. Elisabeth Harrison, 6-0, 6-1; Harmony Webb def. Nicole Scarsone, 6-3, 6-3; Katie Creasy def. Shera Sarmadi, 6-0, 6-2
Notes: Abingdon improved to 19-1and clinched a state tournament in a match played at Virginia Tech
Region 1D 1st Round
J.I. Burton 6, Rural Retreat 0
Singles
Naomi Shortt def. Caroline Crisp, 6-3, 6-2; Abby Phipps def. Abbie Pollard, 6-1, 6-0; Eden Shortt def. Annabelle Fiscus, 6-4, 6-2; Carly Tomko def. Kendra Irvin, 6-1, 6-0; Maddie Sargent def. Alora Battaglia, 6-0, 6-2; Emily Duff def. Ginny Hale, 6-1, 6-0.
Notes: J.I. Burton improved to 14-1.
Thomas Walker def. Twin Valley,
forfeit
BOYS TENNIS
Region 1D/2D First Round
Wise County Central 5, Graham 0
Note: The Warriors play at Thomas Walker in today’s semifinals