Robbinsville – Entering Monday, the question was seriously being floated around the area: can anyone derail the Robbinsville Lady Knights this year?
Winners of their first six of the campaign, the Knights took Judy Nichols Memorial Field to defend their home turf against the 3A Enka Sugar Jets – a team that found out firsthand how resilient the Graham County lassies could be after Robbinsville came back from an 11-7 deficit in the top of the seventh March 7 to stun the hosts, 16-11.
But in the course of 2 ½ weeks, Enka had went on a 5-game tear and even the journey through the Corridor K turbulence could not alter the Jets’ course.
Homers from Emma Payne and Samantha Reese – mixed with a complete-game, 7-strikeout showing from lefty Karly Presnell – lifted Enka past Robbinsville in the return battle, 8-4.
“We just made too many mistakes to beat a team that good,” said Lady Knights coach Billy Knight. “They got the big hits in clutch situations and we did not. That’s how it goes sometimes and we came up just a little bit short.”
Reese’s 3-run bomb came with two outs in the top of the fifth, as the Sugar Jets’ designated player greeted new pitcher Memory Frapp rudely on her second delivery of the ballgame. The launch provided a bit more breathing room for Enka (7-1), which had clung to a 3-1 advantage following Robbinsville sophomore Anna Williams unloading her first varsity home run to lead off the bottom of the third.
Payne opened the seventh with her solo shot, which was the final salvo from the Jets. The Lady Knights began scrapping back in the home-half of the frame, but the rally bid started too little, too late. After Liz Carpenter scored on an error and Zoie Shuler doubled in Ella Atwell – before Shuler dashed home on a throwing miscue in the immediate aftermath – Suri Watty connected for her second laser of the day.
But for the second time in the game, she hit it right at a fielder: Presnell, as Enka’s junior ace capped her solid performance by recording the final out of the evening.
As Knight alluded to, Robbinsville (6-1, 3-0) squandered scoring opportunities throughout the game. Shuler made it to second on an error to begin the bottom of the first, but was left stranded at third base. Watty singled with one down in the third, but Sophie Roberts grounded into a double play moments later.
In the fourth, Frapp drew a leadoff walk and later reached third, but Liz Carpenter flew out to right field to end the threat. The bottom of the sixth ended after starting pitcher Naomi Taylor struck out, leaving Frapp to ponder the proceedings after her two-out hit just before Taylor stepped up.
“We are still a young team, but are getting better everyday,” Knight continued. “I can tell you this, we have not played our best game yet in all three phases.
“When we start doing that – and we will – we are gonna be hard to beat.”
Devils downed
Bryson City – March 21’s season sweep of Swain County morphed into a lights-out showing from Frapp.
Following Allie Stephenson’s trip across the plate in the bottom of the second, the senior retired the last 15 batters in a row. Robbinsville’s offense came to life in the third to eventually pull the Lady Knights past the Devils, 6-2.
“She was in complete control of the game in the circle,” Knight said of Frapp, before touting his batters. “Offensively, we had big hits in clutch situations. We only made one error and Memory walked nobody; hard to lose when you do that.”
Frapp finished with seven strikeouts while toeing the rubber, improving to 2-0 on the year in the process.
At the dish, Shuler pieced together two hits; Watty tattooed three hits against her former team. Presley Caylor and Williams each posted doubles; when the dust settled, the latter had finished with a team-high three RBIs.