Robbinsville falls in slugfest at Murphy
Murphy – In a game that featured two teams combining for 24 runs, 26 hits, 27 runners left on-base, 16 walks and six errors, something had to give.
Unfortunately for the Robbinsville Lady Knights, that something was their first loss of the season.
In what amounted to a slugfest between the top two programs in the Smoky Mountain Conference, Robbinsville (3-1, 3-1) dropped a 14-10 road game to the Murphy Lady Bulldogs (3-0, 3-0) on Monday.
“Sometimes when you lose, you really win – if you understand what happened,” explained Knights coach Billy Knight. “We walked 11 people, we struck out nine times and made several errors in the field.
“You’re not going to beat good teams when you make those kind of mistakes.”
The Knights came out hacking, placing four runs on the board in the top of the first. Zoie Shuler started the game with a single and soon scored on a Gabby Hooper double. Two batters later – and the bases chocked full of runners – Hooper would race home on a wild pitch, while Sydney Farley doubled home courtesy runner Brook Turpin and Ivy Odom.
Murphy replied with a 4-spot of its own in the bottom of the frame, with Kaiya Pickens driving in Grace Nelson, Riley Dockery singling to score Pickens, pitcher Jersey Schwalm doubling to plate Annie Kate Dalton and Maddison Seabolt flying out to bring Dockery home.
The Bulldogs built on their lead in the second, with Nelson scoring on a bases-loaded walk, Pickens crossing the plate on an error and Reagan Peterson grounding out to bring in Dockery. A 3-run homer by Dalton in the third pushed the Lady Bulldogs to a 10-4 advantage, before Seabolt scored Murphy’s 11th run on a bases-loaded walk in the fourth.
Robbinsville began chipping away at the deficit in the fifth, as Halee Anderson doubling home Kensley Phillips and Memory Frapp. The Lady Knights’ biggest push followed in the sixth, with Anderson driving in Phillips on a one-out double, Shuler singling to score Frapp, Knight drawing an intentional walk with the bases loaded – scoring Anderson – and Shuler later swiping home on a snap-throw to first.
But a lineout would put an end to Robbinsville’s comeback bid.
And yet – despite all the crazy statistics the game produced – the Lady Knights squandered even more scoring opportunities, including leaving the bases loaded in three straight innings.
“One of the things we gained is when we got down 11-4, we picked ourselves up and got back in the game,” Coach Knight pointed out.
“Leaving the bases loaded; those kind of things happen. But the things we can control – walks, strikeouts – those runners score if we don’t strikeout. A ground ball or fly ball would’ve moved those runners.”
Back on track
Andrews – Robbinsville had little time to reflect on the loss, picking up the pieces for a short trip to face Andrews on Tuesday.
The Knights promptly put nine runs on the board in the top of the first at Valley River Park, which spiraled into an eventual 17-2, Robbinsville victory.
“We played a good game, but I want to give a shoutout to the Andrews coach (Matthew Mealer). They’re doing things right.
“Coming off yesterday, we had a lot of enthusiasm. I thought we did a good job playing softball. Yesterday was yesterday; it’s over.”
Frapp drove in two runners on a single to begin the scoring barrage, before Odom crossed the dish on an error.
Ally Ayers would fly out to plate Frapp. Knight drew a bases-loaded walk for the fifth run, before Shuler cleared the basepath with a no-doubt grand slam to center field.
RBI singles from Turpin, Knight, Shuler and Frapp in the second came after courtesy runner Sarah Gibby scored on an error. Shuler would later trot home on an error later in the frame.
The Lady Knights scored their final two runs in the fourth, with Baylee Parham coming in on an error and Abbi Sawyer driving in Odom.
Frapp started the game, striking out seven of the first nine Andrews batters she faced.