Odom launches two homers in Lady Knights’ victory
Robbinsville – Ivy Odom put everybody on notice Friday.
One of the Lady Knights’ eight seniors, Odom homered in consecutive innings during the home opener, collecting five RBIs in the process and helping lift Robbinsville (1-1) to a 10-3 triumph against T.C. Roberson (0-2).
“To be honest, I haven’t really been hitting really well (this season),” Odom said. “Before I hit the first one, (head coach) Billy (Knight) talked to me and just really told me to simplify it, focus on hitting it up the middle. I really just went back to the basics.
“I didn’t really think about hitting a home run; I just wanted to put the bat on the ball.”
Odom’s three-run bomb in the fifth helped give Robbinsville some breathing room, as the Knights and Rams had stayed rather even until her dinger. The score was 7-3 after her first smash; the one that followed in the bottom of the sixth would solidify the final score.
“Coach Knight is big on sticking to what works,” Odom said. “We do have a new pitching machine; it really gets us prepared to see good pitching. I think that’s really helped, too.
“Coming out and winning our home opener was big for us. It really sets the tone for the season, especially here at home.
The Lady Knights found their way on the scoreboard first, when Aynsley Fink sprinted home on a passed ball in Robbinsville’s first trip to the dish. T.C. Roberson took its only lead in the top of the third, when pitcher Abbie Holland aided her own cause with a two-run single before Tymber Thompson tripled to plate courtesy runner Kaylie Buchanan.
Robbinsville knotted the affair 3-3 in the bottom of the frame – when Brook Turpin came home on an error and Zoie Shuler grounded out to plate Fink – before pulling back ahead for good in the fourth, when designated batter Sarah Gibby flew out to drive in Memory Frapp.
The Knights’ eighth run came just before Odom did her final damage, when Fink singled to score Turpin.
Patience Frapp earned her first victory of the season inside the circle, going five innings and striking out two. Memory Frapp hurled the final two innings, fanning three Lady Rams.
Late Rocket fuel
Asheville – Entering the bottom of the seventh in the March 2 season opener, Robbinsville seemed destined to begin its year with a victory.
The Lady Knights had just added three more runs to their game-long lead over the A.C. Reynolds Lady Rockets and needed just three outs to secure a 6-1 win.
Then the wheels fell off.
When the dust settled, A.C. Reynolds (2-1) had brought six runs across the plate and erupted in jubilation after picking up the stunning 7-6 win over Robbinsville.
The Knights got right to work in the top of the first, with Turpin scoring on an error and Memory Frapp singling to bring in courtesy runner Claire Barlow. A.C. Reynolds salvaged its only run – until the seventh – in the home half of the frame, when Lily Redden came home on a passed ball.
Robbinsville struck again in the fifth, when Turpin connected to bring home Shuler. The Knights then seemingly put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh, when a Shuler triple scored Fink, Turpin singled to bring in Shuler and Turpin later dashed home on an error.
The bottom of the seventh began with Jayla Dotson drawing a leadoff walk, before scoring on a Bailey Payne double. Kyndall Morman would then ground out to drive in Payne. Later with two outs, Ivy Holley singled to score Chloe Page. Haley Draper would next tie the game on a two-run single that drove in Redden and Holley.
Knight opted to lift Memory Frapp at that juncture, with Patience trotting to the circle in need of just one out. But an error and walk set up the Rockets’ triumph, with Payne reaching on a squeeze bunt that allowed Draper to score and cap off the rally.
Memory Frapp struck out 10 batters before being lifted.
Tuesday’s scheduled home game with the Smoky Mountain Lady Mustangs was postponed due to the threat of incoming weather.
A makeup date had not been determined by The Graham Star’s press deadline Wednesday.