By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent
“When you come to the fork in the road, take it,” New York Yankees Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once advised.
The Southside High softball team took Yogi’s advice on Tuesday (Mar. 15), pushing across a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to win a 5-4 nail biter over county rival Etowah at SHS.
With the score tied at 4-4, Southside’s Lauren Hunt led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and proceeded to steal second. Two batters later, Mallary Smith lined a single to left to drive in the winning run.
“We’ll take them, even if they’re close,” said SHS head coach Angie Sanders. “Give Etowah credit; they stayed with us and clawed back in it. I’m proud of our team; we did what we had to do and finished.”
Brittney Kidd went 2-for-2 with three RBI for the Lady Panthers (7-3).
In seven innings, winning pitcher Savannah Yancey struck out six while allowing four earned runs and two walks.
Etowah (10-8) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Bree Vasser was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a single by Madison Grant. Vasser then scored on a RBI flyout to right by Emma Jones.
Southside tied the game in the bottom of the second when Emma Coker walked and scored on a double by Kidd.
The Lady Panthers added three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on hits by Hunter Ashcraft, Coker and Kidd. The big hit in the inning was Kidd’s two RBI single.
The Lady Blue Devils added a single run in the top of the fifth on a towering home run to left by Bree Vasser to cut the Southside lead to 4-2.
Etowah tied the game in the top of the sixth on two hits and an error. Melissa Love drove in one run with a single and Krislyn Farmer’s fly ball to center was misplayed to tie the game heading into the seventh.
Grant went 3-for-3 with one RBI for Etowah. She took the loss on the mound.