Published: May 08, 2008 03:43 pm         

Lady Panthers' win gives them spot in district softball tournament

Lacey McKinney's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Stone Memorial Lady Panthers an 8-7 win over the Kingston Lady Jackets to earn a berth in the District 4AA Tournament championship game Thursday night at Anderson County High School.

Hannah Rinks walked, and Brittany Green singled, before McKinney delivered the game winning hit, breaking a 7-7 tie.

SMHS played the winner of the Kingston/Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK) Thursday evening in the championship game. The winner will host the Seymour/Alcoa runner-up Monday night in the opening round of the Region 2AA Tournament.

Rinks pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing six hits, with McKinney hurling 4 2/3 innings to earn the win.

The Lady Panthers scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning on a singles by Jalisa Parham, Green, and McKinney, two errors and a groundout.

After Kingston took a 4-3 lead in the top of third inning, the Lady Panthers scored twice on doubles by Parsons, Green and McKinney for the 5-4 advantage.

Kingston took a 6-5 lead in the top of the fourth inning, but SMHS took a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the sixth on singles by McKinney and April Melton, a sacrifice bunt by Kayla McCoy and a double by Samantha Donathan.

Kingston tied the game in the top of the seventh, setting up the Lady Panthers' rally in the bottom half of the frame.

SMHS 11, CAK 1: Lacey McKinney pitched a complete game, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts.

The Lady Panthers scored once in the first inning, when Jalisa Parham doubled, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on a squeeze bunt by Hannah Rinks. Brittany Green also doubled in the inning.

In the third inning, Parham tripled and scored on Casey Scarlett's bunt.

McKinney singled in the fourth, with Cappi Campbell coming in as a courtesy runner. Campbell advanced to second on a groundout and scored on Samantha Donathan's double.

In the fifth, Parham singled, advanced to second, and scored on a Green single.

SMHS had a seven-run sixth inning to end the game on the 10-run rule.

April Melton walked, Donathan and Randi Parsons both singled, with all three scoring on a double by Parham.

Scarlett was hit by a pitch and Rinks singled to plate Parham. Green singled home Scarlett, and Green scored on a sacrifice fly by McKinney.