Jefferson County is 1-9 against Morristown-Hamblen West since April of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Patriots will host the Trojans at 5:30 p.m.
Jefferson County came into their game on Tuesday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They came up short against Morristown-Hamblen East, falling 9-1.
Olivia Mottern
| 04/01/25 @ Morristown-Hamblen East | 1 |
| 03/28/25 vs Southeastern | 1 |
| 03/24/25 vs Maryville | 1 |
| 03/19/25 @ Seneca | 0 |
Olivia Mottern was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out eight batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Mercedes Randolph was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases. Another player making a difference was Kayli Reece, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Morristown-Hamblen West won against Jefferson County back in March with ten runs and they decided to stick to that run total again two weeks ago. The Trojans didn't even let Sevier County on the board, marking the Trojans' second-straight 10-0 shutout.
Briony Bunsic was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Bunsic was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Eva Boudier, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. She also hit a double, marking her first of the season. MacKenzie Lucky was another key player, scoring three runs.
Morristown-Hamblen West was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Morristown-Hamblen West's victory ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-4. As for Jefferson County, they now have a losing record of 8-9.
Jefferson County suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Morristown-Hamblen West when the teams last played back in March. Will the Patriots 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.
