Lady Knights emerge from road trip with plenty of positives
Waynesville – Flashes of just how dominant the Robbinsville Lady Knights can be were on full display Monday.
Showing the respect warranted by the Knights’ program, Tuscola (4-7) tossed their No. 1 gun Addi Sampson inside the circle for Robbinsville’s third-straight road game. Showing no signs of road fatigue, the Lady Knights refused to let a lengthy tie and a homer deter their mission for success in a 5-3 win over the Lady Mountaineers.
“They have a conference game tomorrow,” Robbinsville coach Billy Knight said after Monday’s win. “We get everybody’s best shot. You wear this uniform, you’re one of those games on everybody’s schedule. I felt like we did a good job of hanging in this one.”
Sophie Roberts grounded out to score Anna Williams in the top of the third, for the first run from either team. Tuscola responded quickly, with Kinzie Messer sending a one-out homer over the fence in left-center.
Two innings later, Alexis Markos swatted a two-out triple to drive in Messer; shortly thereafter, an errant pickoff attempt at first allowed Tuscola’s Alexis Markos to swipe home plate.
And that is where Robbinsville (9-2) flipped the switch on persistence. No further runs were to be allowed from the hosts; in correspondence with the shutdown, the Knights’ bats came to life.
Freshman Sydney Adams had a little trouble laying down a bunt with two runners on in the sixth – so instead, she walloped a deep double to bring in Presley Caylor and Liz Carpenter and knot the duel. Tuscola summoned Madisyn Brooks to the rubber, but it did no good: Williams doubled off Brooks to bring Adams around for the go-ahead run. Insurance was added in the seventh, when Taylor flew out to score Memory Frapp.
Granted, things could have gotten hairy in the bottom of the seventh. Kendall Williamson led off with a double and was moved to third on a groundout moments later.
But the Lady Knights put the kibosh on the rally bid, when Messer hit a screamer right into Zoie Shuler’s glove at shortstop. A snap throw to Caylor at third doubled up Messer – and the game was in the bag.
“What more can I say about Sydney Adams?,” Knight pondered. “Whether she got a hit or not, she had a great at-bat. The kind of experiences these kids are getting are really going to pay dividends in the playoffs. They’re learning how to play in a program where the pressure is always on.”
Frapp improved to 3-0 on the season, turning in a fine showing to the tune of seven strikeouts in five innings of work. Naomi Taylor entered in the sixth and promptly recorded the ultra-rare, 6-out save.
Skyway Smackdown
Tellico Plains, Tenn. – In a game just added to the slate early last week, Robbinsville traversed the picturesque Cherohala Skyway on March 28 and delivered a 10-1 defeat to the hosting Tellico Plains (Tenn.) Lady Bears.
“They were a quality opponent, but Naomi really pitched well,” said Knight. “We got some good, clutch hits from a lot of our key players.”
Roberts provided an early shot in the arm for the Knights, smashing home run No. 5 to straightaway center field with two outs in the top of the first. Tellico pitcher Kadence Moses drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second and later scored on a 1-out single from her battery mate Jagger Ziglar.
In the third, Robbinsville pulled back ahead in chaotic fashion, thanks to Williams sprinting home on an errant Ziglar throw. The Knights did most of their damage in the fifth, with Suri Watty roping a 2-run single and Frapp connecting for a multi-run triple just two batters later. The 5-run portion ended when Carpenter flew out to usher Frapp across the dish.
Watty later tripled in two more with one out in the sixth, before Robbinsville’s offense capped the afternoon on a Frapp grounder that brought Watty home.
Naomi Taylor (4-1) went the distance, striking out five Tellico batters en route to her fourth win of the year.
Bad break
Asheville – The Lady Knights pulled out all the stops at A.C. Reynolds on March 27, but fell victim to a walk-off homer in a 9-8, extra-inning loss.
“They’re better than their record looks,” Knight said. “It’s also a game where we didn’t do the little things we needed to do to win a game against a good team like that. But again, that’s why we play those games. They expose us and show our girls that we’ve got to get better.”
Lady Rockets starter Aubrey Treadway delivered the devastating blow, a 2-run launch in the bottom of the eighth. Robbinsville had forced free softball after tying the game 7-7 in the seventh, when Carpenter smacked a 2-out double to drive in Taylor.
The Lady Knights even went ahead in their part of the eighth, thanks to a Williams grounder that brought Watty home from third. Webster hit her second home run of the year with two down in the fourth; and Shuler tripled twice to produce three RBIs – a team-high, which she shared with Carpenter.
Frapp earned the starting nod, but exited after just 3 ⅓ innings of work. The senior hurler was the only pitcher to record a punchout against A.C. Reynolds (6-5), striking out four Rockets.
Information from Tuesday’s win over Andrews was not available by The Graham Star’s Wednesday press deadline.