Murphy – Murphy softball is heading into spring break on the right foot. The Lady Bulldogs defeated Copper Basin, Tenn., 7-3 on April 3, then beat Andrews 17-2 in games on April 4 and April 6.
After winning its last four games, Murphy is 7-4 overall and 4-2 in the Smoky Mountain Conference.
It was a slow start at the plate against the Lady Cougars, before Murphy started to adjust to pitcher Destiny Pittman as the game went along. The Lady Bulldogs took an early 2-1 lead before scoring one in the top of the fourth inning, then four more in the top of the sixth to establish some breathing room.
“She did a good job of keeping us off time,” head coach Billy Dockery said of Pittman. “As the game progressed, we did a good job making adjustments at the plate we needed to, finding our timing. We started hitting toward the end.”
One run scored in the fourth inning, when Taryn Morrow crossed home plate on a throwing error with Leena Lape up, but Copper Basin (4-4-1) answered back in the fifth when Pittman’s sacrifice fly to right field scored Brilee Harris. Off the bat it looked like Pittman would have extra bases, but Morrow sprinted into the gap in right-center, jumping and reaching across her body to make a running catch.
“Taryn is a super athlete in right field,” Dockery said. “She holds it down. She makes some of the craziest plays I’ve ever seen anybody make the whole time I’ve been around softball.”
Murphy would add four runs in the top of the sixth inning. After Aiden Smith led off with a double and Morrow
walked, Ruby Boehm hit a grounder back to the pitcher, but a bad throw allowed Smith to score and Morrow to advance to third.
With Lape at the plate, Morrow would score when a bad throw by the Copper Basin catcher trickled past Pittman in the circle. An RBI single by Julia Dockery added another run, then Riley Dockery added another on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field that landed just a few feet from the wall.
Copper Basin would add another run on RBI single to right field by Caitlin Pack, but Paisley Johnson would retire the last two batters to end the game. With Jersey Schwalm still limited due to an injury, the freshman has continued to step up in the circle when needed.
“She’s consistent,” Billy Dockery said of Johnson. “Every time I ask her to step in, she’s there, and she does what she needs to get done.”
The Lady Bulldogs then cruised to two mercy-rule wins against Andrews. They returned to the field Tuesday with a home game against Hiwassee Dam, then traveled to the Lady Eagles on Friday.
Murphy is on the bubble to host a game in the first round of the state 1A playoffs. A win or two against Hiwassee Dam would keep the Last Bulldogs on that path.