Henderson County had not lost a softball game to a 2nd Region team since falling to Madisonville-North Hopkins in the 2019 regional championship game.
Until Saturday.
Caldwell County pushed across two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to nip the Lady Colonels 6-5 in a back-and-forth nailbiter in Princeton.
Brylee Butts scored the winning run from third base when a slow roller off the bat of Grace Watson was thrown wide at home plate as Caldwell claimed its 2024 season opener.
Henderson (2-1) led 1-0 early before Caldwell went up 2-1 in the third inning. The Colonels retook the lead 4-2 in the fourth, but the Lady Tigers tied things at 4-4 in the fifth.
Henderson went back up 5-4 when Maggie Grogan tripled home a run in the top of the seventh.
But Caldwell loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the frame. Daelen Kizzee reached on an error to start the inning, then Butts beat out an infield single. After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Harper Holeman drew an intentional walk.
The Lady Tigers tied the game when a grounder to third by Alicia Stanley was misplayed, leaving the bases loaded still with no outs.
Henderson appeared to catch a break when a liner off the bat of Adley Lewis was snagged o a leap by second baseman Ayden Bennett. Bennett then threw to first to double off a runner there for the second out of the inning.
With runners still at second and third, Henderson intentionally walked Alexis Wood to again load the bases.
That set the stage for Watson, who put an 0-2 pitch in play, leading to the winning run crossing the plate.
Wood and Holeman each had home runs for Caldwell in the contest.
Wood’s solo shot leading off the second inning was just inside the left-field foul pole and tied the game at 1-1.
Holeman homered to the opposite field in the fifth inning, with her two-run shot to right tying things at 4-4.
Holeman finished 2-for-2 at the plate and reached base four times. Butts was 2-for-4 and scored twice.
Hallie McCracken was 2-for-4 for Henderson.
Wood picked up the win in the pitching circle. She allowed four earned runs on eight base hits. She struck out one and walked four.
Mackenzie Burczyk suffered the pitching loss for the Lady Colonels. She gave up two earned runs on eight hits while fanning six and walking three.
Henderson had taken six straight from the Lady Tigers prior to Saturday’s matchup.
The Lady Colonels still hold a 19-11 lead all-time.
Henderson had won 37 straight games against 2nd Region opposition.
Caldwell’s girls will play at home again on Monday, hosting 7th DIstrict foe Hopkins County Central.
