Maddie Smith had one extra base hit this season for the Trigg County Lady Wildcats, but she doubled that total on Friday, driving in both runs in a 2-0 win over Livingston Central in the 5th District championship in Eddyville.
The district title is Trigg County’s third, but the first since the state switched to fast-pitch in 1995.
Smith broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning when she laced a low line drive down the first base line. Livia Breckel, who led off the inning with a walk, scored the game’s first run.
Lily Eagleson led off the sixth inning with a free pass and came around to score when Smith lined a triple into the right field corner.
Tember Oliver retired seven of the final eight batters she faced, including a 1-2-3 seventh inning to set off a Trigg County celebration that was 30 years in the making.
Oliver allowed four hits and walked two as five Livingston runners reached second base, but none advanced to third. The sophomore struck out nine as she notched her 20th win of the season.
Chloe Doyle had two of Livingston’s four hits.
Eighth grader Addison Tramble, who limited Trigg County to two hits in an 11-0 win over the Lady Wildcats on March 25, struck out 12 but issued four walks and hit three batters.
Livingston Central, who defeated Trigg County 3-0 in last year’s district championship, had won two of the last three district titles. The Lady Cardinals owned a nine-game winning streak over the Lady Wildcats entering Friday, but have dealt with recent injuries, including All-District infielder Hadley Hargrove, whose .519 batting average and 15 extra base hits were absent from the district tournament.
The district championship capped a bizarre week for Trigg coach Monty Todd, who has now won a district title at three schools in the 5th District – Lyon County, Livingston Central, and now Trigg County.
Todd underwent emergency surgery on Thursday after injuring his leg during a fall at school. He was at Friday’s game, doing his coaching from a wheelchair at the dugout.
Both teams will advance to next week’s Second Region Tournament that begins Monday at Webster County. Trigg County (22-13) will open with either Union County (19-15), Madisonville (23-10), or University Heights Academy (5-9), while Livingston Central (23-6) will get an opening assignment against either Christian County (22-13), Caldwell County (16-14), or defending state champion Henderson County (28-6).
One Response
This is absolutely awesome!!! When I go out to the complex now since returning to Trigg county I am amazed at the girls playing softball. When I left TCHS in 2007, there was 1 team of high school and middle school girls that played softball during the summer and they only played very few games. Olivia, my youngest, played at Ruff park in Hopkinsville starting in 5th grade because that was the only place to play. CONGRATULATIONS to the Lady Wildcats softball team on your first District Championship. Looking forward to many more in the future.