Lady Indians win way to district final

Emma Terrell (5), backed up by Ariel Vance, reaches for the ball during an attempt to tag out a Lady Falcon runner during the Marked Tree-CRA semi-final Monday afternoon. The tag was unsuccessful, but the Lady Indians won the game to advance to the 2A-3 districti final against Bay Tuesday night. (Tribune photo/Dan Brawner)

"We didn't come out well in the beginning," said coach Waylon Dunn of his Lady Indians' 17-7 victory over Crowley's Ridge Academy Monday afternoon in the semi-final of the 2A-3 district tournament at Bay. "They jumped on us 5-0, but then we came back and tied it and went from there."

It did indeed look as if the CRA might have the Lady Tribe's number as they went completely through their batting order, before the Marked Tree could finally put an end to the bleeding.

The Lady Indians did one better, however as they scored five runs in their turn at bat, lead-off hitter Deziree Tull batting twice. Then with the game tied at 5-all going into the top of the second, shouts of "it's a new ball game" could be heard on both sides of the diamond. And indeed it was as both teams suddenly turned into their old selves.

First, CRA was able to manage only one run in the top of the stanza. And then the Lady Indians came back with four for a 9-6 lead they would never relinquish.

"It took us a couple of innings to settle down," said Dunn. "But we kept hitting and kept putting the pressure on. I was proud of the team for coming back. It was an ugly win, but still a win."

Marked Tree went on to score in every inning while CRA could get only one more run in the top of the fourth as Marked Tree coasted into the district final at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon against #1 seed Bay.

Deziree Tull led the hitting going 4 for 5 with a triple, an over-the-fence home run and two runs scored. Ariel Vance was also 4 for 5 with three runs scored. Christina Seals was a perfect 3 for 3 with a triple and three runs scored while Emma Terrell was 3 for 4 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. Hannah Ghant, who got the win giving up four earned runs on nine hits while striking out four, also went 3 for 4 with three runs. Skylar Mullins finished 2 for 3 with four RBIs and a run, Bianca Plunkett was 2 for 4 with and RBI and a run, Amelia Stacy 2 for 5 with five RBIs and one run and Taylor Green was 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run.

Marked Tree 15, Cross County 0

As the #2 seed, Marked Tree played hapless Cross County in the tournament's opening round Friday, destroying the Lady Thunderbirds 15-0.

Dunn had nothing to say about the win other than the Lady Indians simply took care of business.

Ghant almost pitched a no-hitter, giving up a single in the final stanza of the three inning game while striking out five of the 10 batters she faced.

Tull once again led the hitting going 3 for 3 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Plunkett followed with a 2 for 3 day with one run and one RBI. Going 1 for 2 were Ghant and Stacy Ghant scoring once and Stacy twice. Green was 1 for 1 with two runs and an RBI, Vance had two runs and two RBIs, Mullins two runs, Terrell one run and one RBI and Plunkett one run.