MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Sale Creek’s Lady Panthers rolled past Houston County, 12-2, in five innings Tuesday in the Class 1A state softball tournament behind the stellar pitching of Macie Stanfield and the superlative run-production of Shelby Sullivan.
Sullivan collected two hits and drove in six runs. One of her hits was a three-run double in a four-run second inning.
Stanfield went the distance, scattering six hits, giving up two unearned runs while striking out two and walking six.
“I thought the girls played well and we were playing a pretty good team,” Lady Panthers coach Clifford Kirk said. “The pitching was good, the hitting was good, especially in the middle of the lineup and we played good defense despite making some errors.
“The six RBIs by Sullivan was the big thing for us.”
The Lady Panthers (35-5) advanced to the second round and will play Unaka (29-12) at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday on Starplex 4. Unaka defeated Gibson County, 3-0.
Sale Creek scored four runs in the second and fourth innings, turning the game into what turned out to be a mercy rule contest. Sullivan’s big hit highlighted the second inning and Stanfield drove in two runs in the fourth with a single. Sullivan ended the game with a two-run double in the fifth.
Linescore
Houston County 001 10 – 2 6 0
Sale Creek 240 42 – 12 11 4
Brake, Lambeth (4) and Roper; Stanfield and Baskette.
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)