It’s Lady Admirals vs. Heritage, round 6, for region title
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The District 4-4A Softball Tournament champion Farragut Lady Admirals celebrate. - Photos by Alan Sloan
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Junior Emma MacTavish, FHS staff ace pitcher named District 4-4A Tournament Most Valuable Player, is alongside her parents, Elizabeth and Chris MacTavish. The FHS junior was joined on the All-Tournament team by fellow Lady Ads Ava Guzowski, senior shortstop; Anna French, junior right fielder; and Elsa Morrison, sophomore catcher. Gracie Gray, Hardin Valley Academy pitcher, and Bearden Lady Bulldogs Rylee Sieber and Reese Waltman also earned All-Tournament honors. For the regular season, Morrison was named 4-4A Player of the Year, while Guzowski and MacTavish joined Addison Pressley, junior center fielder, and Laney Shrader, junior third baseman, on the All-League team, along with Gray and Alex Souders of HVA and Lady Bulldogs Sieber and Waltman. - Photos by Alan Sloan
Farragut and Heritage softball teams already have traded punches five times so far in 2023.
Coming out of the loser’s bracket after a 7-3 District 4-4A Tournament loss to the Lady Mountaineers, “We came out with a little bit more of a chip on our shoulders, a little bit more attitude and aggression,” FHS head coach Nick Green said about sweeping the Blount Countians — 11-7 Wednesday, May 10, then winning the title by beating Heritage 8-2 — at Hardin Valley Academy Thursday, May 11.
“I think that paid off.”
Green’s girls (30-5) continued to dominate during the must-win Region 2-4A semifinal Monday, May 15, hosting District 3-4A runner-up Powell at Bellamy Field.
Exploding for 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth, Farragut blistered the Lady Panthers 14-3.
Having a 3-2 head-to-head edge on the Lady Mountaineers this season, game No. 6 is set for 6 p.m. this evening (Wednesday, May 17) at Bellamy Field. Heritage edged Karns, District 3-3A tourney champ, 10-8 Monday.
“We feel like we’re as good as they are,” said Lady Mountaineers head coach Jeff Sherman, whose team — co-champs with the Lady Ads during the district regular season with 9-1 records, as each beat the other on its home field — carries a 22-6 overall mark into the region title showdown.
“I think we’re equals,” he added. “We’ve just got to prove it on the field every time.”
District tourney title
After two walks and an infield error allowed two Farragut runs to score in the bottom of the third, Anna French’s two-RBI single to right field upped the lead to 4-0.
French started a four-run rally in the fifth inning with a one-out single. Audrey Ginel followed with a single, before Rilee Kate Ragan’s infield single made it 5-0.
After an outfield error allowed another run to score, Hailey Nichols’ two-RBI single made it 8-0.
Junior staff ace Emma MacTavish, tourney MVP, went the distance on the mound, allowing two earned runs, five hits and five walks with four strikeouts.
“They’ve always been a tough opponent for us,” MacTavish said about Heritage.
“I’m so proud of my team, just the way we were able to come back from that loser’s bracket game and just work all the way here,” she added.
“Our team has a lot of fight, we won’t give up,” said Ava Guzowski, FHS senior shortstop who earned both All-league an All-tourney district honors.
