Before eating a birthday cake shaped like a softball, Lady Pioneer pitcher Hope Mullican wanted to do one thing first: Beat Tullahoma. Mullican helped the Warren County Middle School softball team accomplish that feat as she pitched all five innings in a 2-1 victory Monday.
Mullican’s parents were waiting with her birthday cake outside the fence, but none of the Lady Pioneers wanted to eat unless the team brought home a win over Tullahoma. With Mullican dealing in the circle and Lexie Chadwell providing a game-changing hit in the third inning, the Lady Pioneers were able to celebrate a victory and Mullican’s birthday at the same time.
Mullican threw a complete game and allowed only one run on six hits while striking out five. None of her strikeouts were bigger than the one that ended the fourth inning with the potential tying run standing on third base.
Tullahoma had fell behind 2-0 after three innings and rallied back to slice the Warren County lead in half on an RBI groundout in the top of the fourth. The Lady Wildcats – one of the top squads in the Central Tennessee Conference – was threatening to tie the game by advancing a runner to third with two outs, but Mullican shut down the visitors. Mullican worked to a full count with two outs, then blew a fastball by the batter to end the threat.
Warren County wasn’t able to add to its lead in the fourth inning, but it wouldn’t be needed. Mullican retired Tullahoma in order in the top of the fifth to earn her fifth win this season.
Coach Gooby Martin believed the win over Tullahoma was just another step in the right direction for his Lady Pioneers.
“It was the conference game that counted so it was a big win for our team,” said Martin. “We had solid pitching and our defense has been improving throughout the season. When we do those things, we have a chance to win games.”
With the pitching and defense doing its part, the Lady Pioneers got just enough offense in the third inning to survive.
Kyra Hillis, who made a big defensive play in the second inning when she threw out a runner at third from right field, started the bottom of the third by drawing a walk. MaKenna Mason followed by slapping a shot to third base, which potentially set up a double play. Instead, the Tullahoma third baseman threw the ball into right field and Hillis was able to come all the way around to score the game’s first run.
Chadwell added some insurance when he floated a ball into left field that no Tullahoma player could get under. The single – one of only two hits for Warren County – allowed Mason to score and put the Lady Pioneers ahead 2-0. From there, Warren County held on to earn its 13th win.
Emily Mikkola finished with the team’s only other hit when the shortstop singled in the first inning.
Warren County was coming off a weekend where it won two games in pool play of the Cookeville tournament before rain canceled the second day. The Lady Pioneers beat Avery Trace 6-1 behind a solid pitching performance from Maddie Cantrell and RBI hits by Mason, Hillis, Chadwell and Ashton Whiles. Mullican pitched a complete-game shutout in the team’s 3-0 win over Algood. The wins earned the Lady Pioneers the top seed in Saturday’s tournament, but the tournament wasn’t played due to heavy rain.
The Lady Pioneers will be back in action Thursday with a road game against DeKalb County. The first pitch will be thrown at 4:30 p.m.