HUNTER COOKSTON
Writer
The Whitwell Lady Tigers experienced a season of growth, marked by players taking the field at the high school level for the first time. With just 10 players on the roster—most of them underclassmen—it was a season of learning for head coach Rebecca Castle’s squad. While the regular season record may not have reflected their hopes, the team achieved far more victories than the scoreboard could show.
Region play began last Monday, with the Lady Tigers hitting the road to face CSLA, where they secured a dominant 11-0 win.
Whitwell came out firing on all cylinders. Tennessee Tech commit Ella Grace Harvey opened the scoring with a double to center field. Senior Kasie Britton followed with a single, driving in a run. Lillian Ray tripled down the left field line, adding another run before scoring on a passed ball. By the end of the first inning, Whitwell led 4-0.
The second inning brought more of the same. Ray walked, forcing in a run. Another came across the plate on an error. Callie Brock singled, knocking in a run, and Kendal Holtcamp added an RBI single of her own. The final run of the inning was scored on a wild pitch. In the third inning, the scoring continued with an RBI single from Harvey and another wild pitch.
Jacie Willis took the circle for the Lady Tigers, allowing just three hits and no runs over four innings while striking out two. Offensively, Whitwell tallied 10 hits as a team. Harvey and Ella Layne each recorded two hits, while Harvey and Ray both finished with two RBIs.
Unfortunately, the Lady Tigers’ season came to an end in Sub-State, where they fell to defending TSSAA Class 1A State Champion Gordonsville.
