Sevier County hasn't had much luck against Jefferson County recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Smoky Bears will look to defend their home field against the Patriots at 5:30 p.m. Sevier County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with six losses in a row, Sevier County turned things around against Gatlinburg-Pittman on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Highlanders with a sharp 17-2 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Smoky Bears considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
Jade Hubbard made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching six innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-5. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two).
McKenzie Turner
| 04/15/25 @ Gatlinburg-Pittman | 3 |
| 03/11/25 vs Westmoreland | 2 |
| 04/03/25 @ Morristown-Hamblen East | 1 |
| 03/17/25 vs First Baptist Academy | 1 |
| 03/13/25 vs Morristown-Hamblen East | 1 |
In other batting news, Emma McClure and McKenzie Turner did most of the damage at the plate: McClure got on base in four of her five plate appearances with four RBI and one double, while Turner got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and three runs. Those three runs gave Turner a new career-high. Ashley Morgan was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-5.
Sevier County was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .382. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Gatlinburg-Pittman only posted a batting average of .208.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Jefferson County, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Claiborne a 2-0 shutout on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Patriots have posted since March 28th.
The result came thanks to Kaycee Morgan's shutout, as she gave up just two hits.
Jefferson County's win bumped their record up to 10-13-1. As for Sevier County, their victory bumped their record up to 5-11.
Jefferson County's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Sevier County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .329. It's a different story for Jefferson County, though, as they've only averaged .246. Will they be able to contain Sevier County's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
