Lady Commanders run rule Clay County

After squandering early opportunities Monday, Friendship Christian put together two big innings and run-ruled visiting Clay County 10-0 in five innings in the Region 4-A opener.
Carrie Fry fired four hitless innings with nine strikeouts before Hailey Rutledge completed the no-hitter in the fifth as the Lady Commanders climbed to 34-9 for the season. Friendship will host Monterey, a 6-5 winner over Westmoreland, on Wednesday in the region final with the victor hosting a sectional game Friday and the loser going on the road. FCS coach Erica Powell said she would like to start Wednesday's game at 6 p.m., though it hadn't been finalized.
Friendship filled the bases in the first inning before Lindsey Farmer lined out into a double play. Kenzie Dye was thrown out at the plate in the second.
"We hit the ball well," Powell said. "We couldn't put anything together."
They did in the third with four runs and in the fourth with six.
Kelcey Lee, going 3-for-3 with three infield hits in her first game batting left handed, reached on a one-out bunt single in the third and, after stealing second, scored on Rutledge's single to center. Jessi Couch singled to center to score Rutledge and her courtesy runner, Amber Hunt, came around on Farmer's triple to the fence in right-center field. Farmer scored on Fry's groundout.
Brooke Klinefelter walked in the fourth and her pinch runner, Sarah Huddleston, scored on Camille Cross' double to deep left field. Cross raced home on Lee's infield single to shortstop. One out later, a walk to Couch set up Farmer's two-run single to cetner. Farmer went to third on an error and scored on Dye's single to center. Fry doubled to right-center to score Dye before Shelby McDonald lined out into a double play.
Cross collected two hits while McDonald delivered one as Friendship finished with 12 hits.

Lady Bears battle from behind to defeat Dickson 5-3
MT. JULIET — Facing elimination in the Region 5-AAA opener Monday, Mt. Juliet fell behind early before a three-run fifth inning vaulted the Lady Bears to a 5-3 win over Dickson County at MJ League Park.
Dickson County jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Caroline Mason mashed her 17th home run of the season, with a runner on, to bring the Lady Bears within a run in the third. But it wasn't until Mt. Juliet scored three in the fifth could the hometown fans breath easy.
"Nerve wracking is a great description," said Mt. Juliet coach Kacey Pedigo, whose 41-9 Lady Bears will host District 9-AAA rival Beech [a 6-2 winner at Rossview] Wednesday with gametime expected to be 4 p.m. "We didn't know what to expect from Dickson County and they came in and played a great game.
"The girls did a great job of realizing we had time and we didn't have to panic and we didn't panic."
Karli Rush doubled and scored the tying run in the fifth on Merrick Martin's single. Bijan Stegall squeezed home Britney Young with the go-ahead run and scored the go-ahead tally when Megan Matthews reached on an error.
Kenzie Roark allowed four hits and no walks while striking out seven.
Rush, Martin, Young and Shelby Barrett each banged out two hits as Mt. Juliet finished with nine.
Wednesday's winner will host a sectional game Friday while the loser goes on the road.

Devilettes defeated 1-0 in eight innings
COLUMBIA — Raven Goodman's eighth-inning RBI single up the middle scored Jessica Frierson with the game's only run Monday night as Columbia ousted Lebanon 1-0 in the Region 4-AAA tournament.
Frierson and Kayla Floyd reached on slap singles with one out in the eighth before Goodman came through to end Lebanon's season at 29-16.
Both teams were denied chances to score earlier by strong throws. Columbia lost a runner at the plate in the fifth inning and aat third in the sixth. Lebanon lost runners at the plate in the seventh and eighth.
"Heartbreaker," Lebanon coach Brad Rowlett said after his eighth season ended. "We played hard. We just came up short. This game is not indicative of our season. It's one of those games someone had to lose. It was a well-played game. It could have gone either way."
Columbia's Spenser Andrews allowed seven hits while striking out 12.
Lebanon's Meghan surrendered six hits in 7 1/3 innings while fanning three in her Devilette finale.
Sports Editor Andy Reed can be reached at 444-3952 ext. 17 or by e-mail at andy.reed@lebanondemocrat.com.