By Charles Prince

The North Jefferson News



HANCEVILLE — A young Lady Wildcat team showed great promise as they finished second at the Hanceville Invitational on Saturday. The entire tourney was played on Saturday, due to rainouts. Hayden played their first game at 9 a.m. and their last game ended after midnight.

“We had an 18-hour day,” Hayden head coach John Simmons said. “It was hard playing everything in one day, but I’m proud that our girls played hard all day long.”

The Lady Wildcats dropped their opening game to Susan Moore, then stormed back to take their pool with two straight wins. They then won their semi-final matchup, before losing to Susan Moore for a second time in the tourney title game.

“We did some good things for a young team, but we’ve got a ways to go and there are plenty of things I saw for us to work on,” Simmons said. “Overall, I was pleased to see our club reach the tourney final.”

The Lady Wildcats, which have no seniors on the 2008 roster, fell in their first tournament game, 2-1 to Susan Moore. The contest was also Hayden’s season opener.

Brittany Thomas doubled in the third inning and scored on freshman Courtney Oliver’s single for the Lady Wildcats run.

Freshman Mara Conner allowed four hits and struck out four as she took the loss.



Hayden 9,

Vinemont 0

The Lady Wildcats scored six runs in the first inning against the Lady Eagles to take a commanding lead.

Freshman Emily Sheetz led the offense, as she went 2-for-2 with three RBIs. Conner went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs. Brittany Putnam went 1-for-2 with two runs scored. Laila Russell and Kris Quick both went 1-for-3.

Conner pitched 1 2/3 innings to pick up the win. She was relieved by Putnam. The pair allowed Vinemont only three hits.



Hayden 6,

Hanceville 0

Conner went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a triple. She had three RBIs. Brittany Thomas went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Putnam went 1-for-1 with a walk and a run scored. Quick went 1-for-2 with a run scored. Russell went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Conner pitched 2 1/3 innings, struck out four and allowed only one hit. She was followed by Russell, who threw 1 2/3 innings of no-hit ball.



Hayden 3,

Holly Pond 2

In the semi-finals, the Lady Wildcats started fast as Russell led off the game with a single and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Quick. Russell later scored on a wild pitch. Conner then walked and moved to third on Megan Holt’s single. Madison Durham then singled to center for a 2-0 Lady Wildcat advantage.

Holly Pond responded in the bottom of the first on a walk and an RBI-triple to cut the lead in half.

The score remained, 2-1, until the third inning.

Conner tripled with two outs. Holt came on to pinch run and would score on Durham’s second single of the game.

In the fourth inning, Holly Pond cut the lead to 3-2, when the lead off runner reached on an error and later scored on a double.

The Lady Broncos had the tying run on third base, when Durham fired to Thomas on a pick-off attempt. Thomas applied the tag before the runner could get back to the bag, ending the threat.



Susan Moore 10,

Hayden 0

In the championship game, which started after midnight, the Lady Wildcats managed only three hits, one each by Conner, Durham and Thomas who had one single each.

Conner (3-2) took the loss, allowing four hits and two earned runs. Freshman Ashlan Dutton finished up and allowed five earned runs.