Lady Knights prepared for second-half of season after thumping Braves, Jackets
Cherokee – The first leg of a 3-game road trip started on the right foot.
The Robbinsville Lady Knights (5-1, 5-1) traveled to Cherokee on Friday and in five innings, disposed of the Lady Braves (2-3, 2-3) in an 11-0 rout.
“It’s one of those games where everybody got to play and contribute,” noted Robbinsville skipper Billy Knight. “But it all starts with pitching and Memory (Frapp) threw really well.”
Indeed, Robbinsville’s freshman pitcher picked up her third win of the season, only surrendering three hits in the shutout and striking out six Cherokee hopefuls.
Frapp boosted the effort at the plate as well – combining forces with Maggie Knight for a pair of solo homers – while Sydney Farley also had a two-run double.
April 5, 2021
Robbinsville 404 21 – 11 9 0
Cherokee 000 00 – 0 3 0
WP – M. Frapp (3-0). 2B – Farley. HR – M. Frapp, Knight. SB – Hooper 2, Shuler, Anderson, Odom.
Jackets stung
Hayesville – Much like they have done all season, Robbinsville spread the wealth Tuesday at Hayesville, defeating the Lady Jackets 13-2.
Keeping Hayesville (2-8, 2-8) at-bay was Patience Frapp, who improved to 2-1 on the year behind the strength of six strikeouts. The win was much-welcome for the junior hurler, who admitted to being in her own head before toeing the rubber.
“I used just two pitches today and I threw my change-up so much that when I threw my fastball, it threw their timing off,” Patience explained. “I think focusing on these two pitches will get me throwing the way I should be.
“But I could not have done it without my team. Maggie really hyped me up today in warm-ups; she really had my back.”
“Patience had a really good game today,” Coach Knight added. “Throwing just two pitches made her realize that the game really isn’t that complicated if you can execute those two pitches. Everybody was off on their front foot or behind the ball.”
Offensively, Knight and Kensley Phillips each drove in three runs, while Memory Frapp had a four-hit afternoon.
Knight doubled home Zoie Shuler in the top of the first, before Memory Frapp singled to plate courtesy runner Aynsley Fink two batters later. Memory Frapp struck again for an RBI single in the third – which scored Shuler – before the floodgates opened in the fifth.
Pinch hitter Sarah Gibby singled home both Ivy Odom and Memory Frapp, with Shuler later grounding out to bring Halee Anderson across the dish. A pair of batters later, Knight singled to score Phillips and Gibby, capping a 6-run segment.
Now with plenty of breathing room, the Lady Knights added more insurance in the sixth, as Patience Frapp aided her own cause by singling home her younger sibling Memory with two outs. Robbinsville’s final two runs came to the tune of a two-run double in the seventh from Phillips, which brought home Baylee Parham and Taelyr Jackson.
Looking ahead to the second time through the schedule, the Lady Knights are scheduled to face Hiwassee Dam (7-2, 7-2) in a road game today, before welcoming Murphy (5-0, 5-0) for a crucial division match-up Tuesday at Judy Nichols Memorial Field.
Coach Knight feels confident that the season-series between Robbinsville and the Lady Bulldogs will be evened, after Murphy handed the Knights a 14-10 road loss March 29.
“Next week is huge,” Coach Knight observed. “I really feel like we’ve found our ace: Memory has established herself as our No. 1 and that’s a big thing. I think our kids really believe in her when she’s in the circle. She’s really stepped up as a hitter and pitcher for us.
“We’re ready to play. We have something to prove in the Murphy game; we did not play well that day and I think our girls are anxious for a chance to redeem themselves. That’s been a hallmark of our program for years: resiliency.”