Jordan Pinion belted a home run and a triple with two RBIs and scored four times against Fairlawn.
Photos Ron Nunnari | The Register-Herald
Shortstop Gracie Hemp fields and throws out a Fairlawn batter in the top of the fourth.
Bella Cherry scores on a wild pitch in the first inning.
Third baseman Hannah Webster throws to first for a putout in the top of the second inning.
LEWISBURG — Tri-County North scored early and often Thursday during a 19-1 victory over Sidney Fairlawn in sectional tournament play.
Fairlawn pitchers struggled with several pitches in the dirt or sailing high over the reach of the catcher. When pitches found the strike zone the Lady Panthers pounded the ball.
Gracie Hemp drew a leadoff walk and stole second. Kasidi Daugherty singled to score Hemp. Daugherty reached second on defensive indifference and scored on a double to left by Hannah Webster.
Bella Cherry drew a walk as Fairlawn lifted starting pitcher Lilly Cathcart with Gracie Crosson coming on in relief. Webster advanced to third and Cherry to second on a passed ball. Crosson got Sadie Royer to ground out back to the box with Webster scoring and Cherry reaching third.
Cherry scored on a passed ball and Jordan Pinion belted a home run to right to give the Lady Panthers a 5-0 lead. Chloe Jackson got hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball. Kiley Adkins also got hit by a pitch.
In her second at bat of the inning Hemp reached base on a dropped fly ball in center field that allowed Jackson and Adkins to score to make it 7-0.
Tri-County North added six runs in the second on a double by Kora Lykins, a walk by Hannah Webster, a two-run single by Royer, an RBI triple J. Pinion, an RBI single by Jackson, a walk by Adkins, and a pair of passed balls to bring runners across the plate.
The Lady Panthers added three runs in both the third and fourth innings. Fairlawn scored its lone run in the top of the fourth. Gracie Crosson reached on an outfield error and reached third on an infield error on the throw. Crosson scored on a ground out to short by Aryanna Young.
Jordan Pinion earned the victory for TCN. She pitched five innings, allowed only two hits, one walk and struck out six with no earned runs. She threw only 58 pitches, 41 for strikes.
Cathcart took the loss for Fairlawn. She pitched one inning, surrendered six hits, 10 runs (nine earned), with seven walks and no strike outs. Crosson pitched three innings, allowed five hits, nine runs (seven earned), with four walks and one strike out.
With the victory the Lady Panthers advanced to face Tri-Village in New Madison in the sectional final on Tuesday.
“This was Fairlawn’s firs year in the tournament,” said TCN coach Shelly Lykins. “These kinds of games don’t really help you get better, but I told the girls we have to keep hitting and that we can’t let up because we have Preble Shawnee tomorrow for our last WOAC game and Tri-Village on Tuesday, and we are ready.”
Tri-Village is riding a 20 game win streak including a 17-1 tournament victory over Twin Valley South.
“They finished at the top of the conference, but we beat Tri-Village every year and this year is no different,” Lykins added. “We are 100 percent ready and we are going to beat them Tuesday night.”
Reach Ron Nunnari at (937) 684-9124 or email [email protected].
