Robbinsville softball adds to divisional title collection
Robbinsville – There are literally so many storylines to follow when discussing the Lady Knights softball program this season, one would be hard-pressed to pick the best one to examine.
A 15th Smoky Mountain Conference title? Robbinsville staked that claim by upending Hiwassee Dam 6-1 on Saturday.
The need for a ceremonial “home run hat?” Yeah, the Lady Knights have that covered. In the last four games alone, both Kensley Phillips and Zoie Shuler have catapulted long balls – the latter has raked three out of the yard. As a whole, Robbinsville has sent 16 balls into orbit this year; 10 of those have came from Shuler’s bat.
The ability for a 1A team to put three pitchers on the field – each of which are capable of producing quality starts? You guessed it: names like Memory Frapp, Naomi Taylor and Suri Watty each don a Knights uniform.
The regular season ended in a blur, with three road games in three different days. Robbinsville (18-4) traveled to Clay County and delivered a 14-6 shellacking to Hayesville (2-12); made its way up I-26 on Friday and sent Madison County (12-10) packing from Mars Hill University in a 6-inning, 10-0 shutout; went to Hiwassee Dam (12-7) and won the aforementioned title game; before embarking on its state-title quest by winning another 6-inning affair Tuesday, 13-2 at home against N.C. Leadership Academy (7-10).
The team average is .367. The Knights’ offense has doubled 63 times this year; tripled on 14 different occasions; and outscored the opposition 211-81. Currently, the pitching staff has 145 strikeouts; a slim 2.22 ERA; and opponents are only batting .227 against the staff.
Suffice to say, Robbinsville is locked in.
“We’re clicking at the right time,” astutely observed Shuler, who hit for the cycle in Tuesday’s postseason win. “All of our reps are paying off and we all want the same thing: to win state.”
The box scores for recent games can be found on page 11 of this edition, but a quick examination will find that each triumph is shouldered by key components.
For example, Shuler homered twice at Hayesville on May 4; while four Lady Knights (Liz Carpenter, Shuler, Taylor and Watty) each doubled and Anna Williams matched her jersey number in stolen bases (four).
Friday’s win over Madison County was bolstered by 3-run frames, peppered across the second, third and sixth innings. Phillips’ long ball in the third came right after the Patriots had pulled their starting pitcher Carrie Gunter for Rylee Plemmons. The latter ultimately struck out six Robbinsville hitters, but could only hold off the onslaught for so long.
Inside the circle, Frapp (12-2) secured the win by turning in three innings of work and striking out six. The evening turned into a “bullpen” game of sorts for Robbinsville, as Taylor hurled two innings after Frapp and Watty worked the sixth.
Watty’s bat was a difference maker in the divisional-title showdown with the Lady Eagles on Saturday. She had the only multi-hit game for Robbinsville, posting five RBIs in the effort. Frapp looked almost flawless, issuing just one walk and blanking 12 Hiwassee Dam hopefuls at the plate.
Tuesday’s game quickly became the Shuler show. The University of Tennessee-commit doubled to jumpstarted Robbinsville’s offense; promptly stole third and soon found the dish on a Watty single. In the bottom of the second, she tattooed the first pitch issued to her over the center-field fence.
She later roped a one-out triple and came home on a Watty flyout immediately thereafter. Her final at-bat consisted of a bloop single to shallow center field, completing her historic day.
“I came in locked in,” Shuler admitted. “I made some tweaks in the offseason, but the main thing is that I swung a lot. I got it down to where it’s very comfortable and if something’s wrong, I can look back to see what’s wrong and I can fix it.”
Not to be outdone, Carpenter tripled, doubled twice and also had a 4-hit afternoon against the Lady Falcons, recording a team-best five RBIs. Watty garnered her third varsity win in a 5-inning, 8-strikeout performance.
The win set up a second-round playoff game at home against Elkin (No. 19, 12-8).
The Buckin’ Elks ended Hiwassee Dam’s season Tuesday with a 6-0 shutout.
“Elkin is good and it will be a new face for us to see,” Shuler said. “We’re excited to play them; I think we’ll come in with a lot of confidence.
“But we’re taking it one game at a time.”