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Morristown East’s bats had been silent for most of the season, but suddenly came to life Thursday afternoon at King Park as the Lady Hurricanes ended their 13-game losing streak to start the softball season with an 8-6 victory over Cherokee.

The Lady ‘Canes collected 11 hits, including two doubles, a triple and a go-ahead home run off the bat of Taylae Brice in the bottom of the fifth inning.

East trailed 4-1 when it erupted to score four times in the fifth and then added three much-needed insurance runs in the sixth for the victory.

Paige Horner and Ava Combs banged out three hits each for the Lady ‘Canes and winning pitcher Jaycee Hamilton added two. Hamilton picked up the mound victory after relieving Horner in the top of the fifth.

Cherokee had only four hits but losing hurler Shelby Helton had three of those with Jaylan Cutshaw adding a triple.

East coach Leslie Clemmons was happy with the win. “I’m really proud of how our girls competed tonight. We had some big moments from our freshmen that really made a difference.

“Taylae came up huge one with that home run and Paige Horner stepped in the circle and gave us exactly what we needed to keep us in the game,” she said.

“Besides her pitching and hitting, Jaycee made one of the best defensive plays I’ve seen in a while to stop their momentum. That was a big-time play.

“Overall, we’re continuing to grow and it was a total team effort. Also, I was glad to see some of our younger players step up in key situations.”

Hamilton’s fielding gem came in the third when the Lady Chiefs grabbed the lead. However, Hamilton took one run away when she went diving to her left to field a ground ball up the middle. She made the stop and then somehow managed to tag the bag at second while on the ground to force the runner out from first.

East struck first when Horner tripled over the outfielder’s head and scored as Macy Davis reached on an error. But the Lady Chiefs, who are now 6-8 for the season, took the lead with a pair in the third.

Cherokee, without getting a hit, had two on with nobody out in the fifth when Hamilton came on to pitch. She struck out two batters and another was called out for leaving the base to soon to end the threat.

Danika Winstead started East’s go-ahead rally with a single to left field before Makenzie Maness lined out to the third baseman. Horner was hit by a pitch before a strikeout for the second out. But Hamilton doubled in both runners and scored ahead of Brice’s home run to left field to put the Lady Hurricanes in front.

Combs led off the sixth with a double and Maddie Moore reached as she put down a sacrifice bunt. After an out, Combs scored as Maness grounded out to short before Horner, Hamilton and Davis had consecutive hits to up the count to 8-4.

Helton’s double was the only hit as Cherokee scored twice in the seventh before Hamilton got her sixth strikeout to end the game.

Horner gave up three hits and four runs while walking two and striking out five in her 4.3 innings.