The James E. Bazzell Middle School softball team defeated Monroe County and Barren County on Saturday, September 15, to claim the 2018 District 15 Middle School tournament. The Bazzell Lady Patriots downed Monroe County (7-0) and Barren County (8-2) to claim the title.
In the opener Saturday morning at Lady Patriot
Field, eighth grader Harleigh Grissom hurled a two-hit, nine strikeout game to
help Bazzell to the win. The Lady Patriots pounded six hits in the game.
In the Saturday championship game, Bazzell
Middle School lost a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth before rallying for the
win in the sixth.
“Our girls were rattled after Barren scored two runs in the fifth to tie the game,” noted coach Kelsi Pardue. “In the top of the sixth we started using the international tie breaker. We then loaded the bases with no outs. Taylor Gregory hit a double to score two. An error and a single by Riley Swygart gave us several more runs. We scored six that inning.”
Grissom
recorded six strikeouts in the championship game---including a strikeout to end
the game---while surrounding three hits. Bazzell finished with seven hits.
“All season we’ve talked about ‘Finding Your Fire’, playing with a fire burning so bright that it could light someone else’s,” Pardue explained. “Well these girls were on fire Saturday and fought through some adversity. I am beyond proud of them.”
The wins improved Bazzell’s overall record to 19-10 with the varsity middle school team standing at 13-6. The team will play two more weeks before ending the season in Christian County for the middle school state tournament.