YSE File Photo
Todd County Central High School won a softball game via mercy rule for the fifth time in its past 13 contests Thursday, soundly defeating Hopkins County Central 11-0 in six innings. It’s also the eighth shutout of the season for the Rebels.
The 11 runs came on 11 hits, including doubles by Abby Williams, Jocelyn Mock and Abigail McPherson. That trio combined to go 4-for-8 with five runs, four stolen bases and five RBIs. McPherson was also sensational in the circle, spinning a four-hit shutout and striking out 10 Storm batters.
McPherson gave herself immediate run support in the first, driving in Madelyn Slaughter with a one-out RBI double. Slaughter then made it 4-0 with an RBI groundout in the second, which followed a run-scoring single and double, respectively, by Lucy Cumbee and Williams. Naomi Wellborn (two-run single) and Dakotah Gammon (RBI single) eventually capped a five-run sixth inning to give Todd Central an 11-0 advantage.
Hopkins Central (4-17), losers of five straight games to close out its regular season, put two runners on in the bottom of the sixth, attempting to piece together a longshot rally, but McPherson (9-9) picked up her 10th K and got Amelia Johnson to ground out to second base to end the contest.
Keira Bryan (3-12) threw all six innings for HCCHS, allowing six walks and the aforementioned 11 hits. She also struck out two. Alyssa Blanchard had half of the Storm’s hits, finishing 2-for-2.
Slaughter, Mock and Cumbee each finished with two hits each for the Rebels (16-12), who have three games remaining on their regular season schedule: a Friday meeting at Caldwell County and a Saturday home doubleheader against Edmonson County. Play in the 13th District Tournament begins next week.
