YSE File Photo
In a high school softball game riddled with errors, it was Trigg County that would jump ahead early and then hang on to defeat Crittenden County by a count of 7-4 on Monday in Marion. The visiting Wildcats scored three times in the first inning and took a 7-0 lead in the fifth, then staved off a late rally attempt by the Rockets to eventually halt a four-game slide.
Trigg (four) and Crittenden (six) combined for 10 miscues in the 5th District matchup, but the Wildcats’ opening runs were true. After Kiley Slone walked and Madilynn Smith singled, Kady Fuller brought the duo home by lining a two-run single into left field for a 2-0 TCHS advantage.
Two batters later, the ‘Cats made it 3-0 when a two-out Rocket error brought home courtesy runner EmmaLee Futtrell. She was one of four Trigg players to score a run in the win. The win gives Trigg the regular-season sweep of CCHS.
Trigg County freshman pitcher Tember Oliver (9-7) faced the minimum through 3 2/3 innings in the circle. She allowed her first hit — a two-out single from Crittenden’s Anna Boone — in the bottom of the fourth, but quickly escaped the jam to help keep the Rockets facing a 3-0 deficit.
The visiting Wildcats came up with four more insurance runs in the fifth inning, as Smith’s big night continued with an RBI single to right. Smith finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. A two-out rally then proceeded to commence, led by Brynlee Smock’s run-scoring hit and Veyda Grinols’ two-RBI single that gave TCHS a commanding 7-0 lead.
Crittenden appeared to break through in the bottom half of the fifth, following back-to-back-to-back singles by Morgan Piper, Jaylee Champion and Aubre Conyer, but Oliver answered with one of her four strikeouts and then induced a groundout to end the bases-loaded threat unscathed.
Four Trigg County errors in the sixth inning helped the Rockets get on the board, and a line drive by Champion that was misplayed pulled CCHS within 7-3 of Trigg County. In the final inning, another error led to one of three Boone hits — an RBI single — to make it 7-4, but the contest was ended two pitches later.
Oliver allowed seven hits in her seven-inning win. All four runs she allowed were unearned. Oliver’s counterpart — Crittenden sophomore Elliott Evans — struck out three, walked three and allowed seven hits and two earned runs in five innings in the circle. Boone struck out five in two shutout innings of relief.
Dating back to 2022, Trigg County has now defeated Crittenden five straight times. The Rockets (9-8), who were led by Boone’s 3-for-4, two-RBI performance in defeat, had won three straight games coming into Monday’s matchup.
The Wildcats (10-10) are not scheduled to play another home game the remainder of the regular season. They’ll play again at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Hopkins County Central — one of 23 straight games being played on the road.
