Lady Hawks ousted as bats silenced
May 25—MURFREESBORO — A team which bludgeoned teams with its power-packed offense all season was silenced in the Class 4A loser's bracket Wednesday by Henry County pitcher Celia Lamkin, who blanked Green Hill 5-0 to oust the defending state champions out of the tournament after two games, this one at Starplex No. 3.
Green Hill was held to one hit, a first-inning single to center field by Lillie Buckley. The Lady Hawks had runners reach by four walks, but never advanced past second base as they saw their 41-8-1 season stopped two days sooner than envisioned. Lamkin struck out five as Henry County advanced with a 27-5-1 mark.
The Lady Patriots, who lost to Green Hill in last year's second round as the Lady Hawks won all four games here to win the state, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on Breely Pierpoint's sacrifice fly to deep right field where Maliyah Wilkins made a back-to-the-infield catch just in front of the temporary fence.
Henry County added a run in the fifth when a throwing error on a stolen-base attempt allowed a runner to score from third.
Noe Wilkerson blasted a three-run homer to right-center in the sixth to seal Green Hill's fate.
Kyla Harris pitched the first 6 1/3 nnings for Green Hill, allowing all the runs (four earned) on seven hits and no walks with a hit batter and four strikeouts. Following the home run, Coach Savannah Sanders inserted left-hander Parker Herrin, one of six Lady Hawk seniors, who struck out the two batters she faced.
The loss ended the careers of the six seniors — Buckley, Wilkins, Herrin, Cadence Jarrett (last year's leadoff hitter who tore her ACL in March and was lost for the season), all-state shortstop Emily Legrand, and slugging first baseman Maddie McIntyre — who quickly built the Lady Hawks into a state power, amassing a record of 85-10-1 the last two seasons. They are 131-34-2 since opening their doors in August 2020.
Green Hill fell into the loser's bracket by falling short to Stewarts Creek 8-7 at McKnight No. 1 Tuesday.
Two dropped popups gave the Lady Hawks a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
But Stewarts Creek got three runs in the bottom of the inning as the Red Hawks had four straight hits, including a double, off starter Kyla Harris.
When Brooke Kemp led off the second with a single, Sanders brought Savannah Wilson in to pitch.
That did little to slow down the Red Hawks, who scored in every inning but the third, finishing with 14 hits.
Green Hill also scored in every inning but the third, but had only five hits. Two of them left the year. Maddie McIntyre hit an opposite-field homer down the left-field line to begin the fifth inning. Chezney Whipker blasted a two-run shot to left in the seventh. Emily Legrand drove in two runs on an infield single in the second inning and a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Buckley added a double.
