Haley Stiles singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning and Katie Franklin worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the inning as Caldwell County picked up a 2-1 victory in softball action Tuesday at Henderson County.
The Lady Tigers have won nine of their last 11 games to climb above the .500 mark for the first time all season at 11-10.
Caldwell took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning in what was a pitchers’ duel between Franklin and Henderson’s Kelsie Hill.
Mashea Glover tripled to right field to start the inning and later scored on an error to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 advantage.
The Lady Colonels (16-5) were able to avoid the shutout and tie the game with an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning. A leadoff walk and an error put runners at second and third with nobody out. A groundout by Julianna Hibbs plated one run to tie it, but Franklin pitched out of trouble to send the game to extra innings.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect in the top of the eighth, Caldwell got an RBI single to right from Stiles with one out to go up 2-1. But the Lady Tigers could not add to their lead, despite having first-and-third with one out.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Henderson had runners at first and third with no outs. However, Franklin struck out the next two batters. A walk loaded the bases for the Lady Colonels, but Franklin got the next hitter to ground out to second to end the game.
Franklin finished with nine strikeouts and two walks while throwing a three-hitter for the second-straight night.
Glover was 2-for-4 at the plate and scored both runs for the Lady Tigers.
Sophie Margelot was 2-for-4 for Henderson.
The Lady Colonels opened the season with 15 straight wins, but have dropped five of their last six outings.
