CORBIN — They’ll be a new No. 1 ranked team in the 13th Region once postseason play begins next week.
No. 2 North Laurel scored four runs in the first inning, and never looked back during its, 6-1, victory Over top-ranked, and defending 13th Region champion Corbin.
The win improved the Lady Jaguars to 29-2 overall, and 10-0 against 13th Region opponents. North Laurel snapped the Lady Redhounds’ 13-game win streak against regional foes.
Pitcher Reagan Isaac silenced Corbin’s bats throughout the contest with the Lady Redhounds’ lone run coming in the seventh inning.
And when Isaac wasn’t striking out batters, she finished with six Ks, her teammates were playing stellar defense behind her. The Lady Jaguars’ turned in a flawless game with no errors.
“Tonight was another good win for my girls,” North Laurel coach Chris Edwards said. “We came down here and played a complete game. Pitched well, played great defense and had some timely hits. Very happy with my girls.
“Story of tonight is our pitching and defense,” he added. “I have said it since I started here, pitching and defense will win a lot of games. Tonight was an example of that. Reagan Isaac pitched a great game. She pitched into the seventh and gave up only six hits and one run. She located the ball well, changed speeds and kept them off balance. Very proud of her. Emma Carl came in and got the last two outs. Defensively, no errors and a couple of fantastic plays including one by Ellie Adams at third. She totally just reacted, knocked the ball down and threw the runner out at first. We also took the bunt game away tonight. Corbin likes to play that game and is very effective at it. We played a very nice game in the field.”
Corbin (16-6) struggled defensively, committing three errors that led to four unearned runs.
Danni Foley took the loss after allowing seven hits, and two earned runs while striking out two batters.
“We knew going in that tonight would be a big game,” Corbin coach Crystal Stidham said. “North Laurel is always a big game. My girls are quite capable of the win but we had a couple errors in the first inning that North took advantage of, and I would expect no less from them. Coach Edwards has a great group, those ladies can play. They are a great team, always are and when you play great teams you have to be ready to go from the start.
“But I will say my ladies did what they do and wiped it and competed the rest of the game,” she added. “They had seven hits, we had seven hits, but we had two errors that we normally don’t have. If you look at rest of game overall we played great defense, Danni pitched great, we had some great hits, I had some gals step up and get hits tonight, we just didn’t get them strung together like we needed until later part of game. But my girls, stayed the course and competed.”
The Lady Jaguars added two insurance runs in the third inning, and finished with seven hits.
Bella Finley went 2-for-2 while driving in a run. Ellie Adams delivered a run-scoring hit while also scoring once. Saige McClure finished with a hit, an RBI, and a run scored while Emily Sizemore, and Morgan Edwards each had a hit, and a run scored. Braylee Fawbush delivered a hit while Katie Sams scored a run. Bella Sizemore drove in two runs, and scored once.
“Offensively, we only had seven hits and two walks so we made the most of our base runners,” Edwards said. “Three of those hits were doubles and I believe two of those were with two outs also.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” he added. “They came down here focused and played really well against a really good team. Some of the games we have played this season prepared us for games like this. Like I said before, these girls work so hard and they prepare so well, I’m happy when we get results like we had tonight. Jags Awards tomorrow night before we prepare for our last two games of the regular season. Go Jags.”
Raegan Hinkle led Corbin with two hits, and an RBI while Foley also had two hits. Bailey Stewart, Raegan Walker, and Alana Stidham also had hits.
“We were off to start the game tonight,” Stidham said. “We didn’t play to our level like we have been. We hadn’t played since last Tuesday. We had had some illness, prom, etc., but we will get our rhythm back, my girls don’t have any give up in them. I’m giving no excuses, my girls are a great group, this is just the game of softball, and hat’s off to North. We will finish out our regular season with four more games, and finish preparing for district. Let’s go Lady Redhounds.”
