BY JESSE SMITHEY
MURFREESBORO — The two met just a week ago in the Region 2-3A Softball Championship. But now that both Carter and Gibbs have each won its first two games of this week’s Class 3A State Tournament, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they could meet again in a state championship.
Gibbs routed Soddy-Daisy 12-2 on Wednesday to move to 2-0 on the week and Carter got past Lexington 5-1.
Gibbs will have to be beaten twice on Thursday to not reach Friday’s championship game.
Same goes for Carter.
Here’s more on both team’s wins Wednesday and what each will expect Thursday…
Carter faced off with Lexington in a Class 3A state tournament game on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Carter won the game 5-1. (Photo by Tanner Walker)
CARTER LADY HORNETS
Carter (21-9) might be a state tournament rookie, but it’s playing like a veteran.
The Lady Hornets trounced Upperman, 11-4, on Tuesday and followed that with an impressive 5-1 win Wednesday over a 33-win Lexington club. Malaney Etherton pitched a complete game for Carter against Lexington, allowing seven hits and no earned runs while fanning four against two walks.
Lexington loaded the bases in the fifth against Etherton with one out, but Carter escaped the jam.
“This is a scrappy team. They’re not going to roll over and die easily,” Carter coach Nicole Light said of her Lady Hornets.
Carter took a 2-0 lead in the third thanks to an RBI each from Kayla Rucker and McKinely Grubb.
They tacked on three more in the top of the seventh for good measure, as Addison Freeman’s two-run double powered the inning for Carter. Freeman finished 2 for 3.
Marah Yeo went 3 for 3 for Carter with two runs scored.
Carter plays at 2 p.m. Central time on Thursday at McKnight Field No. 4 against the winner of an 11 a.m. Thursday contest between Lexington and Dyer County.
“Just continue to pitch the ball really well. Malaney’s been doing a great job,” Light said. “Getting ahead in the count and keeping hitters off balance. And for us (offensively), it’s just getting the ball in play and being smart on the bases.”
Gibbs defeated Soddy Daisy,12-2, in a Class 3A state tournament game on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Photo by Tanner Walker)
GIBBS LADY EAGLES
During its march to the Class 3A state tournament, the 10-time state champion Gibbs Softball program wasn’t exactly run-ruling much of its competition.
That’s all changed this week, though.
Gibbs is outscoring its competition at state 23-3 over its first two games, having knocked off Soddy-Daisy 12-2 on Wednesday to move into the driver’s seat in its half of the Class 3A bracket.
“We have played them several times in the past and know they don’t ever give up,” Gibbs coach Carol Mitchell said about Soddy-Daisy. “So, yesterday, we watched the seventh inning of their game with Creek Wood, where they down by two and scored three to win the game. So we knew they weren’t going to give up.
“We knew we had to keep tacking on runs and tacking on runs. And we did, for the most part.”
The Lady Eagles (29-12) had their top four hitters in the lineup go a collective 11 for 14 on Wednesday with 11 RBIs.
Malyiah Smith went 4 for 4.
Dakota Large went 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
Lacey Keck was 2 for 3 with three runs driven in.
And Addison Merritt was 3 for 3 with two RBIs.
Large and Ella Lawhead hit homers for Gibbs.
The Lady Eagles play at 2 p.m. Central time on Thursday at McKnight Field No. 3 against the winner of an 11 a.m. Thursday contest between Soddy-Daisy and Creek Wood.
“To win, we have to keep doing what we’re doing,” Mitchell said. “We know we’re not going to be able to score seven, eight, nine, 10 runs. But just keep doing what we’re doing. We’re getting runners in scoring position. We’re getting the fly ball or the ground ball to the right side and score. It’s not about ‘me getting the hit,’ it’s about ‘scoring my teammate.’
“We’ve talked about that all year. But it hasn’t sunk in until we got to May. They see, ‘Hey, this works.'”