Lafayette topples Tates Creek for first district title in four years

After coming up short each of the last three seasons, Lafayette claimed the 43^rd District softball championship with a 6-1 win over Tates Creek on Friday night.

The Generals fell to Paul Laurence Dunbar the previous three seasons since winning the title in 2013. Dunbar, whom Lafayette swept in the regular season, wasn’t in the finals because Tates Creek eliminated the Bulldogs in a semifinal game completed about 30 minutes before the finals started.

Carlee Jeter, a freshman pitcher, was named MVP of the tournament after allowing just one run in a complete-game effort at Lexington Christian on Friday.

“It means a lot to me to do this for my team,” Jeter said of the recognition.

Lafayette used a three-run barrage in the sixth inning to make the difference. Jeter ended the game with a strikeout.

Both teams will learn their fate in the 11^th Region bracket Saturday morning. Entering as a district winner means Lafayette will avoid being matched up against either Scott County (No. 1 in the state) or Woodford County (No. 2) in the first round.

One of the two likely will be looming in the semifinals should the Generals advance. Coach Todd Avery liked how his girls performed in a rain-shortened 6-1 loss to Scott County earlier this season.

“We look forward to having that chance again,” Avery said.

Creek advances

Tates Creek defeated Paul Laurence Dunbar, 9-2, in the completion of a 43^rd District semifinal that was postponed with Creek leading 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning on Tuesday night.

Commodores Coach Gary Preece was excited that his girls punched their ticket to the 11^th Region tournament, something the program hadn’t done since 2012. He wished they could have had more time to enjoy the end of their week, though.

“Dunbar’s a good softball team, so that took a lot out of us even though it was half a game,” Preece said. “ … You get a little high from winning that game and then you’ve gotta regroup. You had no time to enjoy it a little bit, you have to go right to the fight.”

This story was originally published May 26, 2017 at 11:18 PM with the headline "Lafayette topples Tates Creek for first district title in four years."