Morristown 9-10 All-Stars sweep South Jefferson

By John Gullon – Tribune Managing Editor

It didn’t take long for the Morristown 9-10 All Stars to announce their intentions Saturday evening as they took on South Jefferson in District tournament play at the Field of Dreams in Dandridge.

Aria Derry led the night off, walloping a two out pitch deep to left field for a triple. Then, in the bottom of the inning, pitcher Adley Andrews struck out three of the four batters she faced.

Andrews was dominant on the mound, going the distance and striking out 18 over six innings in a 13-3 win in Game 1. Andrews followed that performance in the night cap and secured the title with another 14 over five innings in a 10-2 mercy rule victory.

In all, over 11 innings pitched, Andrews accounted for 32 of a possible 33 outs via strikeout.

It was an endurance test for a pitcher not used to throwing that many innings in such a short time, but it was a test she passed with flying colors.

“I was afraid she wouldn’t make it,” coach Gabrielle Andrews said. “I kept asking her and she was all in.”

Since the tournament was best of three, Andrews weighed the strategy of resting her daughter in the second game or pitching her and going for the knockout Saturday night. If the teams had split the double header, they would have played one more winner-takes-all game Monday night.

But the way the Morristown team battled, Andrews and assistant coach Hannah Brock decided to go for it.

“Adley was confident in herself, too,” Brock said.

And, as impressive as Adley was on the mound, make no mistake, this was a total team win. Each girl up and down the line up contributed.

“It was definitely a team win,” coach Andrews said. “It took everybody’s effort. We hit the ball pretty well. Our girls were ready; we had the energy.”

“I think the girls worked together, cheered each other on,” Brock said. “It took contributions from everybody, from the top of the lineup to the bottom of the lineup to everybody in between.”

Derry was a terror at the top of the lineup, across the two games she went 4 for 6 with three singles, a triple and a walk. She scored six runs, including one when she came in as a courtesy runner for the pitcher.

“Aria was great in the leadoff spot, for sure,” Andrews said.

Brock said Derry’s big hit set the tone.

““I think that started the energy for the night, absolutely,” she said.

Derry wasn’t the only one to shine. Andrews had three hits and a walk in five at bats. Lydia Worley – batting third – had five hits and a walk in five at bats. Whitley Burton reached base five times without recording an official at bat. She walked four times and was hit by a pitch. She scored four times.

The Morristown team was aggressive on the bases throughout. Once it was apparent South Jefferson wasn’t going to throw down on steals of second and third, Morristown turned the game into a track meet, getting on base and stealing their way around. The only time it came back to bite the Morristown team was when two runners were tagged at home in the bottom of the first inning of the second game. Other than that, the Morristown team took bases at will.

“We stole a lot of bases,” Andrews said. “I got kinda got a little aggressive at the beginning of that game, got a few girls out.”

Game 1

Morristown 13

South Jefferson 3

After Derry’s lead off blast, Worley worked a one out walk and stole her way to third, taking home and a 2-0 lead on a missed throw back to the mound. South Jefferson pitcher Dawson Williams, however, struck out the other three hitters she faced to limit the damage.

In the bottom of the inning, Layla Williams walked and stole her way around the bases, taking home and cutting the lead to 2-1.

In the second Fallon Oakes and Kenzlee Long, each walked with two outs but Williams got her third strikeout of the inning and sixth of the game to prevent Morristown from plating a run.

Adley Andrews responded in the bottom of the inning, striking out the side in order.

Morristown expanded the lead in the top of the third as Burton walked and eventually scored. Derry singled and took second on the same play before coming around to score. Worley singled, stole, second and third and then came home on an error. First baseman Reagan Richards followed with a blast to the gap in right center for a two-out triple but was stranded on a strikeout.

South Jefferson threatened to cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning as both Rylee Bradley and Kaylea Himes walked and advanced into scoring position with a single out. Andrews struck out the next two and ended the threat.

Oakes added another run to the Morristown tally in the top of the fourth as she dropped a single over the first baseman’s head and came around to score on a series of throwing errors.

South Jefferson got on the board in the bottom of the inning when Addison Burtrung hit a roller just past the mound, the throw got past the first baseman and into the outfield and another error allowed Burtrung to come around and score.

Morristown blew it open in the fifth as Hadassah Morrisett led off with a walk and Burton was plunked. Morrisett was out trying to take third, but Emy Hasse’s swinging bunt, which stopped right in front of the plate, caused some confusion. Hasse wound up safe at first, having earned an RBI by bringing Burton home.

Derry walked, Andrews singled and Worley followed with another hit. Addison Mayes blasted a hard hit single up the middle and Ryder Brock walked while Jaycee Turner was hit by a pitch. When the half-inning came to an end, Morristown had sent 11 of 12 batters to the plate and scored six runs.

EJ Debord was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on an error. She stole home and Lydia Gann followed with a hit, the second one of the game for South Jefferson. She stole her way to third but was stranded there with the score 13-3

Morristown added an insurance run in the sixth when Burton walked and Hasse singled.

Andrews struck out the final three hitters and Morristown was in the catbird seat going into Game 2

Game 2

Morristown 10

South Jefferson 2

With the host team now the visitors, South Jefferson looked to start the second game a little stronger. Williams walked and stole her way to third but couldn’t get home as Andrews picked up where she left off with three more strikeouts.

Derry again led the game off with a hit and later scored.

Andrews walked, Worley singled and Richards walked to load the bases with no outs. But both Andrews and Worley were tagged out trying to score on passed balls and Williams – who went the distance in Game 2 – got a strikeout for the third out.

For the second game in a row, Andrews struck out the side in order in the second inning.

Turner, Oates, Long and Burton all reached base without the benefit of a hit and Turner and Oates scored to increase the lead to 3-0. South Jefferson got on the board in the third as Bradley led off with a walk and came around to score.

In the bottom of the inning Derry recorded a rare out with a popout to third but managed to score anyway as Andrews singled and stole her way to third. Derry came back in as a courtesy runner for the pitcher and promptly stole home.

Worley recorded another hit and Mays reached first when her bunt was misplayed, advancing to third on an errant throw. Mays was stranded at third, but the Morristown lead was 5-1.

Andrews struck out the side in the top of the fourth and Morristown went back to work.

Oates, Long and Burton all walked and scored while Derry, Andrews and Worley each got a base knock.

Trailing 10-1, South Jefferson refused to go quietly.

Addison Burtrung ripped a ball past short and through the leftfielder’s glove to record a triple on South Jefferson’s hardest hit ball of the night. Mollie Brooks followed that with a sharply struck comebacker that caught a piece of Andrews and sent her to the deck.

After a moment to compose herself, Andrews recorded another strikeout and Brooks was caught trying to take third – the only time all night that somebody other than Andrews recorded an out for Morristown.

Andrews struck out the last batter to end the game and take the district title.

Morristown will next travel to the state tournament in Maryville. Exact dates and times will be announced.