Sevier County hasn't had much luck against Morristown-Hamblen East recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Sevier County Smoky Bears will be playing in front of their home fans against the Morristown-Hamblen East Hurricanes at 5:30 p.m. Sevier County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Sevier County needed a bit of extra time to put away Westmoreland. They won by a run and slipped past the Eagles 16-15. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Smoky Bears have posted since April 1, 2024.
McKenzie Turner made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She pitched four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Turner was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one double. That triple marked the first that she hit this season.
Emma McClure
| 03/11/25 vs Westmoreland | 4 |
| 03/04/25 vs Lenoir City | 3 |
| 03/03/25 @ Cosby | 3 |
| 03/11/24 @ Gatlinburg-Pittman | 3 |
| 05/02/24 vs Gatlinburg-Pittman | 2 |
In other batting news, Emma McClure was a standout: she went 4-for-6 with one home run, four RBI, and one double. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ashley Morgan, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Sevier County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .540. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Morristown-Hamblen East was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat dating back to last season. They took a 12-7 hit to the loss column at the hands of Knoxville Central.
Ava Combs made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one RBI. Harmony Sullivan was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-4.
The victory got Sevier County back to even at 4-4. As for Morristown-Hamblen East, their loss dropped their record down to 0-3.
Morristown-Hamblen East's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Sevier County has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.5 hits per game. It's a different story for Morristown-Hamblen East, though, as they've been averaging 10.7 hits. Given Sevier County's sizable advantage in that area, Morristown-Hamblen East will need to find a way to close that gap.
Sevier County came up short against Morristown-Hamblen East when the teams last played back in May of 2024, falling 9-4. Will Sevier County have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
