Softball Recap: Copper Basin Comes Up Short

Cougars

Previous 5 Games

04/03/26 @ Robbinsville	1-7
04/02/26 vs Polk County	4-3
03/31/26 @ Lookout Valley	18-0
03/19/26 @ Hiwassee Dam	14-0
03/13/26 vs Tellico Plains	1-4

Copper Basin dropped down to 5-2 on Friday, ending the team's three-game streak of wins. They came up short against the Robbinsville Black Knights, falling 7-1. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Cougars of the 15-8 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in April of 2024.

As for Robbinsville, they pushed their record up to 13-0 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home. Considering they have won 12 games by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

For Robbinsville's part, Ella Nelms made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. Nelms has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and two RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Khaygan Buchanan, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Kynadee Spencer, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

Coming up, Copper Basin will square off against Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Robbinsville, they will look to defend their home field on Tuesday against Cherokee at 4:30 p.m. The Braves' pitching crew has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season, so the Black Knights' hitters will have their work cut out for them.