In a softball game where both teams answered the other’s offensive output, it was Franklin County that had the final say.
After seeing their one-run lead disappear in the top of the seventh, the Lady Flyers scored one run in the bottom of the inning to beat Woodford County 4-3 Tuesday at Sally Gaines Field.
“I’m very proud of the way we answered back,” FCHS coach Tracy Spickard said. “We dug in our heels and did what we had to do to get another run across.”
With the score tied at 3-3 going into the bottom of the seventh, Kara Howard led off with a single for the Lady Flyers.
She took second on a wild pitch, and a sacrifice bunt by Macy Johnson sent Howard to third.
Sydney Wiard followed with a base hit to bring Howard home with the winning run.
Franklin County lost the lead in the top of the seventh when Merry Krueger led off with a single, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kayla Clem, advanced to third on a fly ball to right field by Keely Moussette, and scored on an error.
But the Lady Flyers didn’t lose their focus, winning the game in the bottom of the inning.
“That was a momentum changer potentially,” Spickard said of Woodford tying the game.
“This is a big win for us. I thought we got a little complacent when we got the one-run lead. We quit hitting the ball hard and got under it for a couple of innings, but we kept our composure and came back and did what we had to at the end.”
The Lady Yellowjackets (9-6) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a single by Andrea Graham and a home run by Cheyenne Jamison.
FCHS (11-5) tied the game in the bottom of the first with back-to-back doubles by Howard and Johnson for one run, and another run scored when Shelby Sanders reached on an error.
The score stayed 2-2 until the fourth inning.
Brianna Banks and Alyssa Gaines both reached on errors to open the fourth for FCHS, putting them at second and third with no outs.
After a strikeout Tori Zeigler drew a walk to load the bases. Howard singled to drive in Banks with the go-ahead run, and the bases were still loaded with one out.
A fielder’s choice that forced Gaines out at home and a fly ball ended the inning with no more runs being scored.
“We had runners at second and third with no outs,” Spickard said. “We were hoping to take more advantage of that opportunity, maybe get them rattled.
“They did a good job of battling back and holding us to one run.”
Howard was the winning pitcher, and she led the FCHS offense with a double and two singles. Johnson also doubled, and Sanders and Banks each had a base hit.
Those with hits for Woodford were Cheyenne Jamison with a home run, Catie Fletcher with two singles, and Graham, Darrian Jamison and Krueger had a single apiece. Leah Shelton pitched for the Lady Jackets.
Franklin County, now 3-0 in the district, plays at Madison Central today. The Lady Flyers host Frankfort High in a district matchup Thursday.
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