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More importantly, Ledford takes a firm grasp on second place in the conference, with the Lady Spartans destined to win the league again.
Ledford scored the only run it needed in the second inning with a two-out rally. Jessica Morgan drew a walk bringing up Olivia Klutz. The senior dug in and drove a double to right that scored Morgan from first on a play at the plate. It turned out to be the only hit the Panthers would get.
“That was huge and that was the ballgame,” said Ledford coach Charlie Brown. “Olivia did a great job getting on the outside pitch and going with it.”
East pitcher Spencer Embler was able to hold the Panther offense in check the rest of the way, while the Golden Eagles tried everything it could to score a run on Ledford’s Brittney Murphy.
In the fifth Addie Chaney ripped a double to right and moved up 60 feet to third on Nicole Welborn’s single with two outs, but Murphy struck out Candace Fox to end the threat.
Brown had to take a deep sigh in the sixth when Taylor Vance smashed a ball that seemed to be leaving the park. But it bounced awkwardly off the top of the fence and stayed in the park for a double.
“I thought it was gone. We are just fortunate because another couple of inches we’ve got a tie ballgame,” said Brown.
East coach Greg Fowler could not believe the ball stayed in the yard.
“I am not sure I have ever seen a ball hit the top of the fence and bounce back, but that is part of it.”
The next three batters could do nothing to bring the run home, and Murphy closed out the seventh with a strikeout and 1-3 putout to end the game.
“We got runners in scoring position and had our chances, but Murphy pitched a great game,” said Fowler. “We’ve got to have more heart and go out and battle and fight each night. There have been close games that we have lost this year and we have to turn that around.”
East (7-5, 6-3) faces an uphill battle for the second spot with games against West Davidson and Central still looming. Fowler remains optimistic that last year’s late season charge will strike again.
“We got on a good run at the end of last year and that is what we are hoping for this year.”
Ledford (10-4, 6-2) turns around to play West Davidson on Friday, who the Panthers easily handled earlier in the year at home. The Green Dragons knocked off the Golden Eagles recently and have been playing better, so Friday’s game will be anything but a walk in the park.
“We are all battling and it is going to be neck and neck,” said Brown. “Friday is going to be a totally different game and they [his team] know what happened between East Davidson and West.
Vance went 2-for-2 at the dish to lead East.