The Morristown-Hamblen East Hurricanes will square off against the David Crockett Pioneers at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. David Crockett took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Morristown-Hamblen East, who comes in off a win.
Having struggled with four losses in a row dating back to last season, Morristown-Hamblen East turned things around against Sevier County on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Smoky Bears 8-6. The Hurricanes' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Ella Wampler
| 03/13/25 @ Sevier County | 2 |
| 03/11/25 vs Knoxville Central | 2 |
| 03/10/25 @ Volunteer | 2 |
Ella Wampler made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, McKenzie Maness was excellent, scoring two runs while going 4-for-4. Another player making a difference was Harmony Sullivan, who scored a run while going 2-for-5.
Morristown-Hamblen East hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Sevier County struck out nine times.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 16 runs the game before, David Crockett was a bit more limited in their contest on Thursday. They fell just short of Unicoi County by a score of 2-1. The loss was the Pioneers' first of the season.
Like Morristown-Hamblen East, David Crockett also got a great game from a two-way player: Madelyn Dulaney. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). The dominant performance gave Dulaney a new career-high in strikeouts. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing Four bases. while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances.
Dulaney wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Bailey Dugger, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI.
David Crockett dropped their record down to 2-1 with the defeat, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Morristown-Hamblen East, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Morristown-Hamblen East beat David Crockett 8-3 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will Morristown-Hamblen East repeat their success, or does David Crockett have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
