A week ago, Sarah Davies told her softball team not to make plans for Friday.
That message came through Thursday night. The Lady Wildcats found a way to paste the challenges and lessons learned this spring into one game, beating McMinn Central 7-3 in the District 3-2A play-in round.
The Lady Chargers swept Sweetwater in the regular season, but the Lady Wildcats (8-16) pushed across a five-spot in a one-run ball game and held their opposition to four hits.
“I knew with the way that we have been playing we were going to roll through this. I knew this was going to happen tonight. The determination they have had and the way they came together as a team, I could see it,” Sweetwater coach Sarah Davies said.
Sweetwater turned the game on its head with five runs in the top of the fifth. Tori Thompson’s single sandwiched by walks to Lilly Woodruff and Madisyn Vestal loaded the bases.
Kylee Kamps — who has hit in three consecutive games after going hitless all season — knocked an RBI single into center field, scoring Woodruff and Thompson.
Two batters later, Kylee Richeson’s sacrifice fly allowed Brooklyn Alexander to tag up, extending Sweetwater’s lead to 5-1.
Ella Morgan kept the parade running with a two-out single into center field, scoring Kamps and Maddy Baylog.
The Lady Wildcats pushed two runs across in the third frame. Danielle Jones ripped a triple to center field, scoring Morgan. One batter later, Woodruff’s sacrifice fly scored Jones.
Sweetwater’s offense has sparked in recent weeks. During the team’s three-win streak, the offense has combined for 33 hits. Davies credits the string partly to assistant coach Addie Lowe’s vote of confidence in Kamps.
“She is our senior and has been a bench player all year, but we made a few changes,” Davies said. “We have been rolling with her ever since. She has been a spark plug.”
Morgan went all seven innings in the circle. The senior held Central to four hits while striking out three, walking none and allowing one earned run.
“Ella has found a new gear. I have known Ella for four years now and it has been hit or miss, but she has been pitching for us for a solid month and has found something inside her that is unbelievable,” Davies added. “Sarah Woodruff calls her pitches and they are a great combo. She has found her stride and it is crazy.’
Sweetwater has moved to eight wins on the season, surpassing last season’s total. Six of those wins have come since the start of April.
“It was a long season, I am not going to lie. And it was not the most fun season; it is never fun losing the way we were losing,” Davies said.
Sweetwater’s turnaround is evident in the series with Central. The Lady Chargers beat Sweetwater 15-0 and 6-1 in the regular season.
“At one point I said ‘I have nothing else to say because it is the same story every game. The errors are hurting us and we are not hitting the ball,’” Davies said. “Our attitudes were not great and I challenged them. They have to want this themselves and make those adjustments. And they have to believe they can.
“I think it finally clicked with them and we are on a three-game winning streak. I have never had a team like this and never had a season like this.
“We are going, we are riding this into the regional and we are going.”
During Sweetwater’s win streak, the Lady Wildcats beat Sequoyah 7-6 — their first win over the Lady Chiefs since a walk-off win in the 2021 District 5-AA tournament — and topped Eagleton 13-3 before eliminating Central.
Across the District 3-2A tournament, Tellico Plains eliminated Polk County with an 11-0 win. Sweetwater advances to face top-seed Meigs County on Friday.
Tellico Plains will face No. 2 Kingston.
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