Lady Knights cruising down final stretch
Robbinsville – Everything is clicking at the right time.
As the Robbinsville Lady Knights (11-1, 11-1) look ahead at the final two games of the regular season – Rosman after press time Wednesday and Hayesville on Friday, both at home – the team is firing on all cylinders.
Andrews (0-10, 0-10) and Cherokee (2-6, 2-6) recently became Robbinsville’s latest victims, as the Knights drubbed the Lady Wildcats 20-0 on Friday and the Lady Braves on Tuesday, 11-0.
“I think everyone has bonded more in the past few weeks,” said junior Ally Ayers. “These past few games, we’ve been completely shutting down people.”
“This is the best time for us to come together,” added freshman Zoie Shuler.
Robbinsville’s offense started slow against Cherokee, but heated up immensely in the third. Memory Frapp singled home Aynsley Fink in the bottom of the first and Kensley Phillips scored on a passed ball in the second, before Patience Frapp jumpstarted an 8-run bottom of the third with a 2-run single, which plated Ivy Odom and Gabby Hooper.
Shuler would later clear the base path on a grand slam that made the tally 8-0, while Maggie Knight followed in the same segment with a 2-run dinger that also brought home Fink. Ayers then hit a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, her second long ball in as many games.
Both Shuler and Ayers pointed to adjustments made in the batter’s box as the catalyst behind their recent impact.
Keeping Cherokee’s offense at-bay were siblings Memory and Patience Frapp. Between the sisters, only two Cherokee hits made it into the scorebook.
A 7-run bottom of the first against Andrews was punctuated by the 3-run dinger from Ayers. Memory Frapp -- who leads the Knights with a .658 batting average -- then hit her team-leading fourth homer in the bottom of the second, which also scored Maggie Knight. The long ball jumpstarted a 9-spot for Robbinsville, which extended to 20-0 in the third after four straight hits led to RBIs for Brook Turpin, Taelyr Jackson and Odom.
Sydney Farley picked up her first win of the season inside the circle, striking out one.