SFMS Lady Devils advance to second round of tournament

September 29, 2020
EIGHTH GRADE RECOGNITION – Eighth grade members of the South Fulton Middle School Lady Red Devils’ softball team were recently honored, including Anna Kate Lawrence, Lydia Carlisle, Anna Claire Barnes, Hadley Barnes, Maddie Gray, Brynn Futrell and Chloe Liliker. (Photo submitted) EIGHTH GRADE RECOGNITION – Eighth grade members of the South Fulton Middle School Lady Red Devils’ softball team were recently honored, including Anna Kate Lawrence, Lydia Carlisle, Anna Claire Barnes, Hadley Barnes, Maddie Gray, Brynn Futrell and Chloe Liliker. (Photo submitted)

South Fulton Middle School Lady Red Devils played host to the Black Oak Lady Eagles at Lee Field Sept. 22, with the Lady Devils recording wins for both contests in the double header.

In the first game, SFMS and Black Oak stalled at one run apiece for the first two innings, followed by a third round of play that saw each team manage to get one more player across the plate, tied up at 2 to 2.

The Lady Devils pulled ahead by one run in the third inning, and then added one more run in the fourth, holding the Lady Eagles at 2.

The fifth and final inning saw South Fulton record another run, as did the visitors, but the Lady Devils held off another Lady Eagle run, ending the match with a score of 4-3, in favor of the hosts.

Lady Devil Maddie Gray fanned out five from the mound, and recorded four walks, with Piper Lusk the standout hitter.

In the second game, Gray shared the mound with Caroline Barclay, on the way to another win by the Lady Devils, 15-9.

Gray struck out four and walked three, with Barclay chalking up a strike-out and seven walks.

From the plate, Hadley Barnes, Brynn Futrell, Ivy Kate Morris and Gray took top hitting honors on the way to the Lady Red Devil Win.

South Futon scored three runs to the Lady Eagles’ one in the first, pounding out six more runs in the second inning of play. The Lady Devils added another run in the third, holding Black Oak at four for inning number two and three.

Black Oak came back in the fourth with five runs, tallying total of nine, but South Fulton, too, tacked on five in the fourth, with the fifth and final inning resulting in the 15-9 SFMS victory.

The Lady Devils began Obion County Tournament Play at home at Lee Field Monday night, once again going up against Black Oak Lady Eagles.

South Fulton pulled off the win for the first round of tournament play, beating Black Oak, 13-5.

Gray was the winning pitcher for the Lady Devils, striking out six and walking six.

Piper Lusk, Lydia Carlisle and Ivy Kate Morris took top honors at bat.

The Lady Devils took a 4-1 lead in the first inning, holding Black Oak to one run in the second, as SFMS took another trip across the plate, maintaining the lead at 5-1.

The Lady Devils scored four more runs in the third, with Black Oak adding three more of their own, both teams stalled at 9 and 4 for the third and fourth innings.

It was the fifth inning stretch that sealed the deal for the Lady Devils to continue tournament competition, as defensive efforts held Black Oak to only one run, to the four runners South Fulton advanced around the bases, for the 13-5 final win.

South Fulton was to advance in tournament play against Lake Road Tuesday evening, with that victor to compete in the championship round Oct. 1, against the winner of the Sept. 29 Hillcrest-Ridgemont contest.

Thursday night’s championship game begins at 6 p.m. at South Fulton’s Lee Field.