High School Baseball
Scott County softball 22-1 after 11th straight win
GEORGETOWN — Times are good for the Scott County softball team.
Tuesday's 7-1 victory over East Jessamine is only the latest installment in what has been a sensational season.
Tiffany Wickline went the distance, scattering six hits. She and Madison Mullin each rapped two of the Cardinals' six hits.
"I'm so proud of my team, said Wickline, a senior. "We're all doing great."
Yes, they are.
Scott County, ranked second in the state, improved to 22-1 with its 11th win in a row.
"The girls are taking care of business and working as a team really well," Coach Scott Walters said. "It seems like every night it's a different person that steps up when we need something big to happen. That's what's been so fun about this group. They work really hard in practice, get along together and every night it seems like it's somebody different."
East Jessamine (12-7) played the Cardinals tough 2½ weeks ago, falling 2-0 in a tournament in Clarksville, Tenn.
The Jaguars made things interesting Tuesday, scoring the first run of the game in the third inning.
Scott County answered with four in the bottom of the inning.
One scored on a fielder's choice by Michal Luckett.
With two runners on, Marlee Tevis hit a big fly that bounced off the glove of the center fielder and went over the fence to bring in three runs.
The Cardinals added three in the sixth.
Abby Lowry brought one in with a sacrifice fly, and Kesley Crowe knocked a two-run double.
"Staying within our talents, staying humble," Tevis said of Scott's key to success this season. "We have so much potential. It's a matter of if we can put our potential out on the field. If we don't put every single 110 percent out on the field and we aren't getting better every practice and every game, then there's no point."
Wickline and Tevis, both right-handers, give Scott County a wicked 1-2 punch in the pitching circle.
"We're both pitching to hit a spot," Tevis said. "We aren't pitching to get strikeouts. We're pitching to get an out. Whichever way we can get that is the way we're going to go."
Said Wickline: "I just throw what (Walters) tells me to, and I know I always have the defense behind me so I always trust the pitch."
Shortstop Luckett anchors a solid defense.
Mullin and several younger reserves have speed to burn.
There's power throughout the lineup, starting with 1-through-4 hitters — Mullin, Crowe, Luckett and Tevis.
And the state tournament provides plenty of motivation.
"Definitely. That's the goal they set back when school started, then when we started hitting the weight room in October," Walters said. "We want to get back to the state tournament this year. First of all we've got to take care of the district and get through our region. Our region's a tough region ... so our work's cut out for us.
"We try to get better every single day. We say if we're not getting better, we're going backwards. The girls have that attitude every day in practice."
Scott Co. 7, East Jessamine 1
East Jessamine 001 000 0—1 6 2
Scott County 004 003 x—7 6 2
Hamm and Fisher; Wickline and Crowe.
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