Being at home may have been all the Warren County High School softball team needed to get back to playing Lady Pioneer softball.
After dropping five of their first six, all on the road, the Lady Pioneers defeated the Franklin County Rebelettes 4-1 in their season opener at home.
Warren County (2-5) started the season as road warriors. The Lady Pioneers played Oakland and Coffee County on the road to begin the season, both two-run losses, then played four games in a Cookeville tournament.
When the Lady Pioneers finally got to suit up at home, the team looked reinvigorated under the lights in Warren County.
Senior Gabi Keith pitched a complete game, going the distance while giving up one run on four hits and striking out five.
Even the bats, which have managed a paltry 10 runs in the last five games, seemed to wake up.
The Lady Pioneers scored four runs on five hits, the biggest coming from junior Mahaley Keele who drove in two runs with a single in the fourth to give Keith the cushion she needed to pick up her second victory in the circle.
Warren County started in an early hole. The first batter for Franklin County drilled a shot deep in the right-field gap for a triple.
The next batter hit a two-hopper to Taylor Grissom at first. Grissom chose to go to the bag for the out first, giving the runner at third just enough time to sneak in and score.
Keith and the Lady Pioneer defense made sure it was the last run the Rebelettes would score.
Keith didn’t allow a hit past the fourth inning and the Lady Pioneers had two big defensive plays to keep Franklin County off the scoreboard.
The first came in the third inning. After a runner had advanced to third base, Franklin County tried a squeeze play to add to its lead.
Third baseman Sarah Jacobs charged the ball and flipped to Morgan Frye at home. Frye stood tall, slamming her foot down in the path of the sliding runner and keeping her from the plate just long enough to apply a tag for the out.
The next inning, Franklin County got greedy on the base paths and Chelsea Cope made the Rebelettes pay.
With two outs and a runner at first, a hit up the middle gave the Rebelettes a chance to put another runner on third.
Cope came up and fielded the ball just as the runner rounded second. Cope threw a strike to Jacobs at third as the runner was out by two steps.
The flashy defense seemed to ignite the Lady Pioneer offense.
Warren County took the lead in the bottom of the third, then added to its lead in the fourth.
Keele got the third started by reaching on a throwing error and advancing all the way to second. Then, Lauren Wilkinson reached base by showing her speed on a dribbler to first. With runners on the corners, Wilkinson took second base, giving Cope a chance to bring in the tying run.
Cope slapped a shot to second base, but Keele hesitated to run and ultimately retreated back to third. The second baseman had nowhere to go as Cope reached first, loading the bases for Monica Lane.
Lane hit another grounder to second and this time Keele scored easily. Lane reached base, but Cope was called out on interference when she collided with the second baseman as she came up to field the grounder.
Wilkinson would steal home on a passed ball shortly after to give Warren County a 2-1 lead after three innings.
Keith struck out two batters in the fourth and got a lazy pop fly from the third batter to put the Lady Pioneers right back at the plate.
Jacobs started the fourth by walking, then freshman Liza Harvey reached base when she hit a shot to second but Franklin County failed to get anybody out as Jacobs beat the throw to second base.
Peytan Hall then moved both runners in scoring position with a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt and Keele did the rest.
The junior lefty turned on an inside pitch, sending the ball right between the Franklin County’s first and second basemen.
Jacobs and Harvey each scored on the play as Warren County took control with a three-run lead.
The offense didn’t have to do anymore as Keith made quick work of Franklin County in the final three innings.
Keith picked up her second win against Franklin County and lowered her ERA under 3.0 in the process.
The Lady Pioneers had a quick turnaround as the team went to Cumberland County last night for a District 6-AAA doubleheader.
Scores were not available at press time. The Lady Pioneers continue their busy week with a home game against Shelbyville tomorrow night.
The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.