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By Ron Barry

If your high school athletic team is playing games during Spring Break, you might as well: (1) enjoy the rare nice weather; and (2) win your games.

That’s exactly what Crockett County’s softball and baseball teams did Thursday. The Lady Cavaliers, playing in the Southern Warrior Classic in Murfreesboro, defeated the Boone Grove (IN) Lady Wolves 12-4 and the George Washington (WV) Lady Patriots 13-5. The Cav baseballers downed Dresden 13-1 and Carlisle County (KY) 4-2, playing in Union City.

SOFTBALL: Coach Baron Jimmerson’s club was feeling pretty good after scoring five runs in the top of the first inning against Boone Grove – but not as good after yielding four to the Lady Wolves in the bottom of the frame.

After that, though, it was all Crockett County as the Lady Cavs completed a 12-hit attack and didn’t give up any more runs.

Wesley Thornton started Crockett’s scoring in the first with a sacrifice fly after Piper White beat out a bunt single, and stole second and third. With two outs, Hannah Carter – who’d been hit by a pitch – scored on a passed ball, just before a double by Fallon Beaird chased home Madison Stitts, who had walked. After an infield hit by Piper Smith. Madison Solis singled Beaird home, and Smith later tallied on an error to make it 5-0.

Boone Grove countered with four runs on four hits, a walk, and an error, but would be blanked after that.

In the second, the Lady Cavs made it 6-4 when Stitts walked and came around to score when Sadie Hoover’s line drive single to left field was misplayed. In the fourth, Carter got hit by another pitch and raced home on a double by Thornton, who then scored on a Stitts single to make it 8-4.

Crockett put the game away with a four-run fifth, highlighted by a Hoover sac fly and three other tallies on wild pitches or passed balls. Anna Stallings, after surviving the Indiana school’s opening-frame rally, was the winning pitcher, going four innings before Emmalynn Medlin finished up with a scoreless fifth.

White, Thornton, Stitts, and Smith all had two hits for Crockett. Stitts also walked twice and scored three runs, while Thornton was the only hitter with multiple RBIs.

In their second game of the day, Thornton singled, doubled, homered, and walked, scoring three times and driving home three runs as the freshman infielder paced a 13-hit attack against the Charleston, WV school. White had a double and Carmen Claybrooks a triple for the winners, with White also swiping four bases.

Crockett led 13-0 before George Washington even got on the scoreboard in the fourth. Medlin pitched the first three innings and yielded just one hit in her scoreless stint. Syesha Torres went the last two frames for the Lady Cavs.

In addition to Thornton’s big game, White, Carter, Stitts, and Claybrooks all had two hits. White joined Thornton with three runs scored. On Friday, Crockett plays Mountain Home (AR) in a 10:00 a.m. contest before tangling with another Indiana team, the Andrean Fighting 59ers, at 2:00 p.m. The Lady Cavs are now 10-2 on the season.

BASEBALL: Bryson Vance led the demolition of Dresden with a run-scoring triple and a three-run homer, the latter being the highlight of a 10-run uprising in the fourth inning that broke open a 3-1 game.

After Dresden had taken a 1-0 lead in the first, Luke Beaird tied it in the second by doubling home Grayson Lambert, who had singled. Brody Parlow ran for catcher Beaird and scored easily when Vance slammed his triple to right field for a 2-1 Crockett edge. Three straight walks set up a Landry Fronabarger sac fly in the third to extend the margin to 3-1 before the Cavaliers exploded in the fourth.

Lambert singled, Beaird was hit by a pitch, and Vance singled to load the bases – which Callan Willis then cleared with a long double to left. After Karson Kail walked, Willis stole third and came home on an errant throw by the catcher. Carter Winders singled Kail to third before stealing second himself, and both raced home on a Brady Fronabarger single to make it 9-1.

Fronabarger tallied when Lambert reached on a two-base error, and Beaird was then hit by a pitch for the second time in the inning. Vance followed by skying his three-run homer over the left-field fence, and it was 13-1.

Crockett pitchers Jameson Bushart (three innings) and Preston Lambert (two) kept the score there until game’s end, combining on a two-hitter. Bushart fanned six in his three frames to claim the win.

The Cavs’ second contest of the day was more of a pitchers’ duel with Carlisle County. Crockett took a 2-0 lead in the third on a two-run single by Preston Lambert. Coach Austin Taylor’s club added a fifth-frame tally on a George Randall sacrifice fly, but Carlisle County answered with a couple of runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Crockett produced the final run in the seventh on a walk, a sac bunt, and a single by the red-hot Vance. Cade Freeman came on to pitch the bottom of the seventh in relief of Tyler Rathbun, and struck out two of the three batters he faced to get the save.

Rathbun went six frames of two-hit ball, striking out seven to claim the pitching victory. Crockett managed just five hits, two of them by Vance. The 9-3 Cavaliers’ next scheduled home game is a district clash Monday with Dyer County.

Freshman slugger Wesley Thornton was playing some more longball Thursday in Murfreesboro, slamming a double and a homer (and a single) in the Lady Cavs' second game of the day after collecting two hits in the first one. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Carmen Claybrooks hammered a triple in the 13-5 win over George Washington (WV), helping Crockett improve to 10-2 on the season. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Fallon Beaird ripped a run-scoring double as part of the attack in a 12-4 triumph over Boone Grove (IN) in the Lady Cavs' Murfreesboro opener Thursday. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Across two games Thursday in Murfreesboro, Piper White was 4-for-7 with a double and eight -- count 'em -- eight stolen bases. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Playing in a tournament in Union City Thursday, Crockett's Bryson Vance was on fire, going 5-for-6 with five RBIs, a triple, and a home run to key a pair of Cavalier victories. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Senior Cade Freeman hit a double Thursday and also picked up a save in Crockett's 4-2 win over Carlisle County (KY), retiring the side in the seventh on just nine pitches. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Callan Willis blasted a key three-run triple to help the Cavaliers take down Dresden 13-1 in the Union City Tournament Thursday. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Tyler Rathbun pitched six strong innings, yielding just two runs and striking out seven, to get the win as Crockett edged Carlisle County (KY) Thursday in Union City. (Photo by Ron Barry)

 

By Ron Barry

Any pitching coach worth his salt will tell you that just about the worst thing that can happen in a low-scoring game is a leadoff walk.

When it happens in a 0-0 duel, there’s often a domino effect. The pitcher gets just a seed of doubt in his mind; the defensive players may feel a bit of additional pressure; the opponent’s offense sees a glimmer of hope.

Wednesday night in the Union City Tournament opener, Crockett County’s Carter Winders pitched a tremendous game. He went five strong innings, allowed just two hits, and struck out nine.

But in the top of the third inning, he walked the leadoff man on a full-count pitch. It was pretty much his only mistake of the night.

For the Cavaliers, however, this is a particularly hazardous situation for one very unique reason: When Carter Winders is pitching, that also means he’s not catching. And one of Crockett’s usual defensive strengths – perhaps its top defensive strength – is the catching prowess of Carter Winders, as one would expect from a player who already has a travel ball national championship under his belt as his team’s primary backstop, which he collected while still just a sophomore.

When Winders is behind the plate, most opponents don’t challenge his arm as base stealers. He’s going to catch or block virtually every pitch his teammates throw, low or high, bouncing or sailing away, inside or out. The only Cavalier pitcher who doesn’t get the benefit of his ability behind the dish is… Winders himself.

And this isn’t a knock against the other Cavalier catchers. Unless you can stick Yadier Molina back there for another game, you’re likely not going to maintain the level you get from Winders.

So… back to the third inning. Crockett is playing Paducah Tilghman, a school with a long tradition of athletic excellence from Kentucky. It’s 0-0. The Blue Tornado leadoff man, Stone Crowe, works his walk.

On the very next pitch – a strike – he steals second. Unfazed, Winders goes on to strike out the batter. On the first pitch to the next guy, Michael Daniels drops down a well-placed bunt for a single that moves Crowe over to third base. The next pitch gets away for a passed ball, and Tilghman takes a 1-0 lead.

And that would be all the scoring between both teams for the night. Crockett would finish with just three hits in the contest, one more than the Blue Tornado. But the Cavs could string nothing together against Tilghman starter Elijah Hamilton and two relievers in dropping to 7-3 on the season.

Winders and Crockett closer Bryson Vance combined for 13 strikeouts and yielded just the two hits and three walks over the seven-inning tilt. But offensively, things went sideways for the Cavs.

They had two men on with no outs in the first and got nothing out of it when a runner was thrown out trying to tag on a fly ball. In the third inning, another runner was thrown out at third trying to advance from second on a ground ball to the shortstop. In the fifth, a runner was caught stealing second.

In the seventh, Crockett’s George Randall drew the magical leadoff walk, and Aiden Austin came in to run for him. After a strikeout, Grayson Lambert pushed a bunt single that gave the Cavs men on first and second with just one out. But Tilghman made a pitching change, and Brandon Dutton struck out the next two Crockett batters to end the ballgame.

Randall, Lambert, and Callan Willis managed the only Cav hits. Crockett will continue play in Union City Thursday, facing Dresden at 4:30 and Carlisle (KY) County at 6:45.

Cavalier junior Carter Winders pitched an outstanding game against Paducah Tilghman, but a third-inning leadoff walk came back to haunt him. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Freshman third baseman George Randall had a single and a walk as the only Cavalier to earn his way on base twice in the 1-0 contest. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Bryson Vance gave the Cavs two excellent innings of relief in support of Carter Winders, but the Crockett offense couldn't get on the board. (Photo by Ron Barry)

 

By Ron Barry

SOFTBALL: Madison Solis was tired of watching her young freshman battery mate laboring with very little run support.

Crockett County’s senior catcher – who’s usually receiving pitches from junior stalwart Anna Stallings – was locked in a 2-0 struggle against host Jackson South Side Tuesday, and the Lady Cavaliers’ “rookie” Emmalynn Medlin was tossing a gem through five innings.

But Crockett’s offense had been close to non-existent in those five frames. The Lady Cavs’ two runs came after three walks loaded the bases in the third and Sadie Hoover swung and missed at a high pitch that eluded the South Side catcher, allowing Piper White to race home to break a scoreless contest. Wesley Thornton sped home on a wild pitch later in Hoover’s at-bat.

And that was it. Neither team even had a hit until Hannah Carter’s two-out single in the top of the fifth. And through the bottom of the frame, Medlin hadn’t allowed any safeties to the host Lady Hawks.

“My screwball and my curveball were both working pretty well today,” Medlin said after the game. “Those are the pitches I rely on most, so I didn’t have to move away from my game plan. I wasn’t really concerned about the score being so close. Our offense usually comes through.”

Enter the top of the sixth. Freshman third baseman Madison Stitts led off with a solid line-drive single to center. Then Hoover dropped another liner in front of the left fielder for a single. Medlin drew a walk to load the bases, and Coach Baron Jimmerson inserted another freshman – Maddie Haynes – to pinch-hit.

“We have such a young core of players,” Jimmerson said. “And they’re all good players. Some of them start for us. But I’d like to give even more of them some big-game experience. It’s just not that easy to do with only so many spots.”

Jimmerson hasn’t been reluctant to use his freshmen. And Haynes came through with a sacrifice fly to right, with Stitts sliding across home plate to beat the throw and make it 3-0.

That brought up Solis. Veteran catchers are fiercely protective of their pitchers, and Solis wasn’t about to let Medlin feel more pressure than she needed to in this contest.

On the first pitch, Solis belted a long drive to the right-center gap, easily scoring the two baserunners and breaking the game open for the Lady Cavs, who would end up adding five more tallies in the rally before it ended for an eventual 10-0 victory, their eighth in 10 starts this season.

After the smash by Solis, Jimmerson kept the merry-go-round on the bases active by ordering bunts by the next three batters – Gabby Bursey, White, and Carter – and all three did it for hits, producing three runs with the help of a South Side throwing error. Thornton scorched a hard single to left, which was bobbled by the outfielder, allowing another run. A Stitts groundout chased Thornton home with the tenth run.

Medlin allowed a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth to spoil the no-hit bid, but still managed her first complete-game varsity shutout, allowing just four baserunners in the contest.

Crockett will now journey to Murfreesboro to begin play in the Warrior Classic Thursday through Saturday. The Lady Cavs are scheduled to have two games each day.

BASEBALL: On Monday, Brady Fronabarger tormented Obion County with his arm.

On Tuesday, he tormented the Rebels with his bat.

The junior lefthander threw the first five innings of a combined no-hitter Monday as Crockett blanked Obion 10-0. Tuesday, Fronabarger singled in a run in the first, blasted a three-run homer in the fourth, and drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh  to give him five RBIs for the day as the Cavaliers won 15-0 for a district sweep of the Rebels.

Crockett only had a total of eight hits, but Obion pitchers walked nine, hit five more batters, and committed six errors as Coach Austin Taylor’s club cruised to their seventh win in nine outings.

Grayson Lambert pitched five innings of two-hit, shutout ball to make it simple for the Cav offense. Sam Proctor finished up the final two frames.

George Randall drove in two runs and almost every player in the Crockett lineup reached base multiple times. Fronabarger and Preston Lambert each scored three times for the winners, who will play Paducah Tilghman Wednesday as they begin competition in the Union City Tournament through Saturday.

TRACK AND FIELD: Crockett County’s track teams, limited somewhat by spring break absences, still turned in a number of solid performances at a Monday meet in Millington, including a new school record and a couple more personal ones.

Titus Luten extended his school record in the boys high jump to 5’-6”, upping the mark he established just a couple of weeks ago. Aidan Klonowski, having an outstanding spring thus far in distance running, lowered his 1600 meters time to 5:02.43 and then shaved an incredible 40 seconds off his previous best in the 3200 meters, posting a time of 11:22.00 to place first in the race.

Laithon Bonds continued to dominate West Tennessee tracksters in the 300 hurdles, winning the event with a time of 43.83. Other top efforts included a 3-4-5 finish in the girls 800 meters, by Avery Thornton, Claire Evans, and Alivia Hale, respectively; a third-place girls triple jump by Addie Davidson; and a second-place showing in the girls 4x800 relay.

Many of the larger schools from the Memphis area, with long-established track programs, competed in the Millington meet. Many of Crockett’s athletes posted improved times from their previous meet, including most of the relay teams for Coach Julie Nass. The next scheduled action for the Cavs and Lady Cavs is Saturday, April 5 in Arlington.

All those placing for Crockett County in the official Millington meet results:

Boys 100 Meters: Deuce Greenhill, 13^th (11.95); DK Woods, 17^th (12.32); Dre Walker, 19^th (12.53).

Boys 200 Meters: Greenhill, 5^th (23.90); DK Woods, 18^th (25.58); Zay Jones, 20^th (26.31).

Boys 1600 Meters: Aidan Klonowski, 3^rd (PR – 5:02.43).

Boys 3200 Meters: Klonowski, 1^st (PR – 11:22.00).

Boys 110 Hurdles: Titus Luten, 5^th (18.87).

Boys 300 Hurdles: Laithon Bonds, 1^st (43.83).

Boys 4x100 Relay: Crockett, 5^th (45.85).

Boys 4x200 Relay: Crockett, 5^th (1:38.61).

Boys High Jump: Luten, 3^rd (SR – 5’6”).

Boys Long Jump: Jeremiah Grant, 13^th (12’4”).

Boys Shot Put: Travis Cork, 8^th (27’10”); Grant, 13^th (23’5”).

Girls 100 Meters: Madi Collins, 3^rd (13.27); Ally Haynes, 10^th (13.73).

Girls 200 Meters: Madi Collins, 12^th (30.96); Katherine West, 13^th (31.00); Haynes, 19^th (34.48).

Girls 800 Meters: Avery Thornton, 3^rd (2:53.00); Claire Evans, 4^th (2:54.00); Alivia Hale, 5^th (2:59.00).

Girls 1600 Meters: Hale, 7^th (6:27.21); Avery Thornton, 8^th (6:35.29).

Girls 3200 Meters: Harmony Walker, 5^th (17:23.00).

Girls 100 Hurdles: Katherine West, 6^th (21.14).

Girls 300 Hurdles: Addie Davidson, 5^th (58.29).

Girls 4x100 Relay: Crockett, 4^th (59.44).

Girls 4x200 Relay: Crockett, 4^th (2:04.64).

Girls 4x800 Relay: Crockett, 2^nd (11:54.89).

Girls Long Jump: Evans, 4^th (13’3”).

Girls Triple Jump: Davidson, 3^rd (29’2”).

Crockett senior catcher Madison Solis watches her long double fly into the right-center gap, scoring two runs to break open a tight game with South Side in the top of the sixth inning Tuesday. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Freshman pitcher Emmalynn Medlin posted her first career complete-game varsity shutout, coming within an out of a no-hitter. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Neither team managed a hit in this game until Hannah Carter -- seen here stealing second without a slide in the first inning after a walk -- smacked a single to left in the fifth. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Prior to the big double by Madison Solis, Madison Stitts made it 3-0 by coming home on a sacrifice fly by Maddie Haynes, even though it looks like the throw is on target to beat her there... (Photo by Ron Barry)

... but Madison Stitts somehow found her way around the blockade at the plate and even knocked the ball loose, ensuring a "safe" call on the bang-bang play. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Gabby Bursey was a workhorse in center field defensively for the Lady Cavs, and here beat out the first of three straight bunts that Crockett laid down for hits in the sixth-inning uprising. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Piper White got in on the bunt parade in that inning as well, dropping this one down perfectly and easily beating the throw to first. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Sadie Hoover lined a ball to right field in the first frame that required a diving catch in the outfield, but delivered a timely hit in the sixth to help set up the Madison Solis two-run double. (Photo by Ron Barry)

By the time the game reached the sixth inning, Wesley Thornton was determined she was going to make something happen when she stepped to the plate after the three previous batters had laid down bunts. (Photo by Ron Barry)

The freshman infielder promptly ripped a sharp single into left field to keep the eight-run rally going. Since entering the starting lineup in the Lady Cavs' third game, Wesley Thornton is batting .500 (12-for-24). (Photo by Ron Barry)

But the biggest guns in this game were Madison Solis, who broke the game open, ... (Photo by Ron Barry)

... and freshman battery mate Emmalynn Medlin: 6 innings, 1 hit, no runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. (Photo by Ron Barry)

 

By Ron Barry

If, as the old song says, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” every female in Crockett County should have been hanging around the high school ball fields Monday evening.

On the baseball side, you would have seen Brady Fronabarger and Tyler Rathbun combine to pitch a no-hitter as Crockett County won its district play opener against Obion Central 10-0.

On the softball side, you would have seen the Lady Cavaliers overcome a very shaky defensive start by collecting six run-scoring hits in an eight-run, third-inning rally to overcome a deficit and take down Lexington 12-5 as three freshmen played key roles.

BASEBALL: Fronabarger hurled five hitless frames, didn’t walk a batter, struck out 10, and slammed his third home run of the season as Coach Austin Taylor’s Cavs improved to 6-2 on the season. Rathbun came on in relief for the sixth, kept the no-hitter intact, and then scored the run in the bottom of the sixth that invoked the “mercy rule” to end the game.

Crockett dominated its first district game of the season from the beginning. Fronabarger struck out the side in the top of the first – throwing strikes on 10 of 12 pitches – and then hit the third of three consecutive singles in the bottom of the frame to help the hosts jump out to a 3-0 lead.

With one out, Karson Kail lined a single to center and then stole second. Carter Winders singled to right and Kail beat the throw to the plate for the first tally. Sam Proctor ran for Winders (courtesy for the catcher) and came all the way around to third on a hard single to left by Fronabarger. Aiden Austin entered to run for the pitcher and promptly stole second, with Proctor scoring as the ball got away. Austin then raced home on a wild pitch.

The Cavs missed a bases-loaded scoring chance in the second on some bad luck. With one out, Preston Lambert doubled down the third base line, Bryson Vance walked, and Callan Willis was hit by a pitch. Kail then lined another shot toward the middle, but shortstop Joseph Smith speared it in the air and quickly flipped to second baseman Tucker Phelon for the inning-ending double play.

Fronabarger, unfazed by that development, struck out the side again in the top of the third and then belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning after a walk to battery mate Winders, extending Crockett’s advantage to 5-0.

In the Crockett fourth, Vance led off with a double and took third when Callan Willis reached on an error. Willis immediately stole second but was called out when Kail’s ground ball hit him as he was trying to advance to third (which is officially scored as a hit for Kail). Kail then stole second and Winders followed by ripping a two-RBI single to center. Fronabarger’s hard ground ball to second was booted for an error, allowing another run to score.

Austin, running again for Fronabarger, stole second and then took third on a pop single to right by Landry Fronabarger, eventually coming home on a George Randall groundout for a 9-0 Crockett margin.

The Cavs’ tenth run tallied in the sixth when Rathbun walked and came around on another Landry Fronabarger single.

Kail, Winders, and both Fronabargers had two hits apiece, with Winders and Brady Fronabarger driving home three runs each. The hosts stole nine bases against Obion. Fronabarger, in initiating the no-hitter, threw strikes on an astounding 46 of his 57 pitches over the five shutout frames.

The two teams tangle again Tuesday, this time at Obion’s field in Troy.

SOFTBALL: After the first two innings in the field Monday, Coach Baron Jimmerson had to be wondering if his Lady Cavs would be in for a long, ugly day.

Lexington scored three runs in the first and two more in the second, with only one of the tallies earned. Crockett committed four errors on the infield as the visitors led 5-2 heading into the bottom of the second. The Lady Cavs put two runs on the board in the first on a run-scoring single by Maddison Stitts and an RBI double by Fallon Beaird, making her first varsity start as the designated hitter.

Crockett chipped away with another run in the second when speedster Piper Smith reached second on a ground ball boot and a throwing error. A fly out by Madison Solis moved Smith over to third, and she made it 5-3 on a groundout by Gabby Bursey.

Lady Cav pitcher Anna Stallings blanked the Tigers in the top of the third, and then the Crockett offense cranked it up a notch.

With one out, Stitts reached on an error and Sadie Hoover singled her to second. Beaird delivered her second straight hit to score Stitts, and both Lady Cavs runners moved up a base on the throw home. After a strikeout, Solis lined a single to center to plate Hoover and Beaird, pushing the hosts ahead 6-5. Chloe Adkisson ran for Solis and took third on a Bursey single. Piper White then doubled to center, scoring Adkisson and sending Bursey to third.

Hannah Carter made it 8-5 by beating out an infield hit as Bursey raced home. Wesley Thornton doubled on a pop fly to right field, scoring White, and Stitts singled to center to plate Carter and Thornton and give Crockett an 11-5 edge.

Stallings pitched out of a jam in the fourth and Crockett added its final run in the bottom of the frame when Beaird walked and eventually scored on another single by Bursey. Stallings had no problems over the final three innings.

The three freshmen in the Lady Cav lineup – Thornton, Stitts, and Beaird – combined for five hits, six RBIs, six runs scored, and a couple of walks. White, Hoover, and Bursey added two hits apiece for the winners, who improved to 7-2 on the season.

Crockett travels to Jackson Tuesday for a rematch with South Side at 5 p.m. The Lady Cavs defeated the Lady Hawks 8-2 eight days ago.

Brady Fronabarger threw strikes on a staggering 81% of his pitches Monday in five no-hit innings against district foe Obion County Central. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Yet another freshman inserted into the Lady Cav lineup -- and Fallon Beaird immediately delivered with two run-scoring hits, including a double in her first at-bat as a starter. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Brady Fronabarger's battery mate -- catcher Carter Winders -- drove in three runs for the victorious Cavs with a couple of hits against Obion. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Sadie Hoover, after making a fly ball catch in right field, prepares to fire the ball back in to prevent a runner from tagging. Hoover had two more hits for the Lady Cavs against Lexington. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Karson Kail (23) is safe on this steal of second, getting in ahead of the tag from Obion's Joseph Smith. Kail collected two more hits as Crockett downed the Rebels 10-0 in the district opener. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Gabby Bursey -- whose offensive skills apparently include the ability to make her bat levitate at will -- had two key hits for Crockett against Lexington. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Cavalier courtesy runner Aiden Austin dove home to score a run on an Obion County wild pitch in the first inning as Crockett took a 3-0 advantage. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Lady Cav pitcher Anna Stallings -- preparing to deliver a pitch as first baseman Piper Smith readies herself defensively -- settled in after the first couple of innings to blank the Lady Tigers over the final five frames. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Baserunning was key for Crockett early on against Obion. Here, courtesy runner Sam Proctor comes in so hard at third base he has to hook himself around the inside of the bag to slow himself down. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Right after that, Sam Proctor gets even more acrobatic scoring on this play at the plate as a throw gets away from Obion's catcher (the ball can be seen to the right). (Photo by Ron Barry)

Freshman third baseman Madison Stitts has been pounding the ball for the Lady Cavs and knocked in three more runs in Monday's 12-5 victory over Lexington. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Crockett's softballers had a rough first inning defensively Monday, causing Coach Baron Jimmerson to call a timeout to calm everyone down. Listening in are (from left) Madison Solis, Piper Smith, and Madison Stitts. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Brady Fronabarger's heroics Monday were not limited to his no-hit pitching. The talented junior also hammered his third home run of the season, a shot over the right-field fence. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Early on, Lexington was hitting the ball in spots that led to baserunners, like this one in which Piper White had no chance to make a throw after knocking it down in the hole. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Preston Lambert pulls into second after drilling a double down the third-base line in the bottom of the second inning against Obion. (Photo by Ron Barry)

This was Fallon Beaird's first hit as a member of the varsity starting lineup, a double that went off the center-field fence in the opening inning for the Lady Cavs. (Photo by Ron Barry)

The Cavaliers had a birthday boy in the dugout -- assistant coach Boone Parlow. It was also the wedding anniversary for head coach Austin Taylor. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Piper Smith's speed gives opponents fits. Here she's racing for first after laying down a great bunt (seen at right); Smith beat the throw to first and continued onto second when it was mishandled. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Bryson Vance speaks kindly to his bat after it helped him deliver a double in a previous a-bat Monday evening against Lexington. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Lady Cav catcher Madison Solis reaches high for a throw to the plate, but it was too late to make a tag on the Lexington runner. But Solis drove in two runs in the right-run third-inning rally to turn the game around. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Karson Kail has been steadily hammering the ball for Crockett, and continued smacking line drives Monday against Obion. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Freshman second baseman Wesley Thornton makes a throw to first for an out against Lexington. Thornton had a run-scoring double in Crockett's big uprising. (Photo by Ron Barry)

 

By Ron Barry

When you’re missing a couple of key cogs in your machine, you have to expect that it’s not going to run perfectly well. But you’re hoping it will still do its job without breaking down.

Crockett County’s soccer team managed to do that Saturday, capturing a 6-3 victory over visiting McNairy County – and while it wasn’t a masterpiece performance, first-year coach Joey Soriano will take it heading into the school’s spring break week.

The Cavaliers were missing two offensive sparkplugs – Angel Garcia and Luke Carter – due to prior commitments before the McNairy contest was rescheduled for this weekend. And they almost lost two more during the battle with the Wildcats, as Santiago Santos took an inadvertent foot to the face early in the second half and leading scorer Chris Cerda was upended by a sliding goalkeeper with just minutes to play, but both were okay after the match.

That left Soriano somewhat content heading into the break that he hopes will provide his players some much-needed rest.

“This one wasn’t the prettiest match we’ve played,” Soriano laughed when it was over, “but we played much better in the second half. It was really a game of two halves. But considering now how we’ve bounced back from that first match at the Arlington Ambush, I’m satisfied that we’re moving in the right direction as we head into district play when we get back from the break.”

The Cavs’ win was their third straight since dropping three matches to some of the state’s best teams at the Arlington event, and improved the season’s mark to 4-3 as Crockett will now be idle until opening district play April 3 at home against Dyer County.

Soriano’s club got off to a sluggish start against McNairy in a game that began at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Cavalier defense performed well in the first half, but the offense didn’t get on the scoreboard until past the midway point of the opening period. Braulio Marquez did the honors for the hosts, netting a shot from the right side with 16:23 remaining before intermission. It was the only goal for either team in the first half.

Crockett came out with a much more concerted effort after the break. Less than three minutes in, Cerda scored the first of what would be three second-half goals as the Cav attacker posted his second straight hat trick.

Brandon Carcamo scored Crockett’s next tally with 21:48 left to play for a 3-0 Cav advantage, but McNairy answered less than a minute later to cut it to 3-1 and inject some newfound hope into the Wildcats’ morale.

That was quickly expunged when, with 17:29 remaining, Aiden Markgraf took a crossing pass from Cerda and drilled in a shot from the left side to make it 4-1. Less than two minutes later, Cerda blistered a shot from outside the box with such force that, while deflected into the air by a defender, it still sailed above the arms of the keeper and just below the crossbar to push the margin to 5-1.

Cerda completed his three-goal hat trick with 12:11 to play when he punched in a shot off a perfectly placed corner kick by Marquez. McNairy scored twice in the game’s last five minutes after Soriano had replaced the majority of his starters to make the final 6-3.

In addition to the goal scorers, Marquez, Cerda, and Daniel Grajeda recorded assists, and Noah Mayfield collected eight saves in going the distance as Crockett’s goalkeeper.

UPDATE ON LEXINGTON PITCHER JAYCE WADLEY: Wadley, who was injured by a batted ball to his face in Friday night’s game with Crockett County, was discharged from Vanderbilt hospital Saturday with a positive report. His orbital fracture was non-displaced, and he was released and will be under observation as he takes a three-month reprieve from sport participation. The Crockett County School District thanks everyone for their continued prayers for this young man.

Crockett's Chris Cerda leaps over a sliding McNairy Central defender who's trying to stop a sideline rush in the second half of the Cavs' 6-3 win Saturday, in which Cerda scored three times. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Brandon Carcamo got this close to a breakaway goal in the first half until the McNairy Central goalkeeper dove onto the ball at the last second. (Photo by Ron Barry)

The goalkeeper's move forced Brandon Carcamo to make a quick adjustment to avoid serious contact. Carcamo scored a second-half goal to put the Cavaliers ahead 3-0. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Braulio Marquez -- who scored Crockett's first goal -- gets off another solid shot in the second half, but it was deflected away by the McNairy goalkeeper. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Athletic trainer Carah-Beth Back and Cavalier coach Joey Soriano tend to Crockett's Santiago Santos, who was inadvertently kicked in the face during a rush at the goal. Santos was able to return to play after a short rest. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Max Utley, one of the most dependable anchors of the Crockett back line, prepares for a side throw-in during first-half action with McNairy Saturday. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Aiden Markgraf (23) slipped past a Wildcat defender and punched in this shot after a Chris Cerda pass to give Crockett a 4-1 lead with 17:29 to play. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Crockett goalkeeper Noah Mayfield went all out to stop this McNairy attack on goal and keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard in the first half Saturday. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Daniel Grajeda (20) and Adrian Calderon (17) jockey for position near the McNairy goal as the Cavaliers prepare to execute  a corner kick in the second half. (Photo by Ron Barry)

When your Mom is the assistant soccer coach, you have to find something to keep you occupied during the match. Carli Branson's son Cooper seems to have found just the thing on a warm Saturday. (Photo by Ron Barry)

George Goldsby got a defensive start for the Cavs and is congratulated by Coach Joey Soriano for doing his part to help keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard during his stint in the first half. (Photo by Ron Barry)

When it's Crockett County's spring break but there's a soccer game going on, these two young ladies just found a secluded spot near the top of the bleachers to catch some rays while they cheered on the Cavs. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Hutsen Stephens works the ball down the sideline in preparation for a centering pass into the middle in the second half of Crockett's 6-3 win over McNairy Saturday. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Chris Cerda delivered this boot from long range with such force that it deflected off a defender and still went into the McNairy net from outside the box for the Cavs' fifth goal. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Daniel Grajeda (20) wards off a McNairy player as he tries to clear the way for teammate Chris Cerda to carry the pass toward the goal. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Crockett's Jacob Wede delivers a sideline throw-in to Adrian Calderon (17) during the second half of Saturday's game. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Braulio Marquez -- who had a goal and an assist -- displays some fancy footwork before dashing past two McNairy defenders and leading another rush at the net. (Photo by Ron Barry)

A happy Santiago Santos -- recovered from getting kicked in the face earlier -- celebrates Chris Cerda's second straight hat trick after the Cavs' final goal. (Photo by Ron Barry)