By: Nick Hall
The Plainview Bears Softball Team travelled to Murfreesboro, Tennessee this past weekend to compete in the Southern Warrior Classic. The Bears opened tournament play on Friday with a 9-0 win over Villa Grove, as two pitchers combined to throw a shutout. Tessa Word threw a strike out to finish off the game. Plainview Bears Varsity scored four runs in the fifth inning. Plainview Bears Varsity big bats were led by Mia Tidmore and Word, all driving in runs in the frame. Crimson Wells was the winning pitcher for Plainview Bears Varsity. She lasted four innings allowing two hits and zero runs, while striking out six. Word threw two innings in relief out of the bullpen and went for a long ball while batting in the fifth inning. Plainview tallied 11 hits. Wells, Krimson Kidd, and Tidmore each racked up multiple hits for Plainview Bears Varsity. Wells led Plainview Bears Varsity with three hits in four at bats. The Bears were sure-handed and didn’t commit a single error. Hannah Regula made the most plays with seven.
For their next trick, Plainview crushed White County 18-4. The Bears weathered a scare by White County in the third inning where they coughed up four runs, but Plainview still won 18-4 on Friday. In the first inning, the Bears got their offense started when Kenzi Traylor singled on a 3-1 count scoring one run. Plainview notched seven runs in the fourth inning. The offensive onslaught was led by Jacey Crowell, Tobi Trotter, Regula, Elaine Puckett, and Kidd all driving in runs in the frame. Lily Boswell pitched the Bears Varsity to victory. Boswell lasted four innings allowing one hit and four runs, while striking out six and walking one. Plainview launched three home runs during the game. Kidd went deep in the fourth inning. Crimson Wells put one out in the first inning. Puckett went for the long ball in the second inning. The Bears saw the ball well, racking up 16 hits in the game. Puckett, Kidd, Traylor, Crowell, and Trotter each managed multiple hits for Plainview, with Puckett going 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the Bears in hits.
In their last game on Friday, the Bears fell behind early and couldn’t come back in an 18-6 loss to Camden Central. Camden Central scored on a grand slam and a stolen base in the first inning. Despite the loss, Plainview did collect eight hits in the high-scoring affair. Unfortunately, Camden Central had ten. Camden Central got on the board in the first inning. Plainview put up four runs in the third inning. Traylor, Wells, and Kidd each had RBIs in the frame. Camden Central scored six runs in the third. The big inning for Camden Central came thanks to an error on a ball put in play and a home run. Kaitlin McBride took the loss for Plainview. She went two and a third innings allowing 12 runs on four hits and striking out one. Camden Central socked three home runs on the day. The Bears scattered eight hits in the game. Trotter and Kidd had two hits each to lead Plainview. Camden Central had ten hits in the game.
Wells was bad news for opposing pitchers on Saturday driving in five on two hits to lead Plainview past Chattanooga Christian 11-4. Wells drove in runs on a home run in the first, a home run in the third, and a passed ball in the fourth. The Bears earned the victory despite giving up four runs to Chattanooga Christian in the second inning. Chattanooga Christian’s big inning was driven by a homer and a double. The Bears got things moving in the first scoring two runs off a Wells’ homer. Plainview took the lead for good in the third inning when Wells homered on a 1-1 count scoring three runs. The Bears scored six runs in the fourth inning led by Crowell, Traylor, Wells, Tidmore, and Avery Price. Boswell earned the victory in the circle for the Bears. She allowed five hits and four runs over six innings striking out five and walking one. Plainview tallied three home runs during the game. Crowell had a four bagger in the fourth inning, and Wells had a long ball in the first and third. Traylor led Plainview with three hits in three at bats.
In the Bears second matchup on Saturday, McBride shut down Sparta/Steeleville throwing a complete game shutout and leading Plainview to a 9-0 victory. The Bears secured the victory thanks to five runs in the first inning led by Puckett, Wells, Tidmore, and Crowell all driving in runs. McBride took the win surrendering zero runs on six hits over four innings, striking out seven, and walking zero. Trotter went deep in the second inning for Plainview’s only homer of the game. The Bears racked up nine hits. Trotter and Regula each collected two hits to lead Plainview. Plainview didn’t commit a single error. Regula made the most plays with eight.
Just as they did on Friday, Plainview watched the last game of Saturday slip away early in a 7-1 loss to Forrest. Forrest scored on a single in the first inning and a home run in the second. The Bears struggled to put runs on the board and had a tough time defensively giving up seven runs. Forrest fired up the offense in the first inning with a single on a 0-1 count scoring one run. Forrest scored three runs in the third inning. Boswell took the loss for Plainview. She allowed ten hits and seven runs over six innings, striking out six and walking zero. The Bears smacked one home run on the day when Puckett went yard in the sixth inning. Tidmore led Plainview with two hits in three at bats. Forrest racked up ten hits on the day.