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SEVIERVILLE—Morristown East racked up its fifth straight softball victory by blasting host Sevier County, 9-1, Thursday afternoon at City Park.

The Lady Hurricanes improved their record to 8-11 with the victory and are now 4-1 in District Two 4-A play, just one game behind league-leading West. The cross-town rivals will meet next Thursday at King Park.

Freshman Jaycee Hamilton collected three hits to lead East to the victory.

Ella Wampler picked up the mound decision with last-inning relief help from Kylie Rader.

The Bearettes saw their record fall to 7-12 overall and 0-5 in district play.

East scored twice in the top of the first and took control with another pair of markers in the third inning.

Wampler allowed just four hits in notching the mound verdict over Emily Maples. Wampler pitched the first six innings and to two batters in the seventh. She gave up just one base on balls and hit three batters while striking out four.

Rader didn’t allow a hit and struck out two in getting the last three outs after Wampler hit the first two batters in the seventh.

East coach Sydney Davis stated, “It wasn’t our best performance tonight.

“We didn’t hit the ball like we know how to do and we did not run the bases well,” she continued. “We have to slide more and that’s our biggest pet peeve right now.”

She said, “Ella pitched okay but we didn’t really back her up defensively. Defensively, we let them score that one run in an inning where we made an error.”

Davis went on to say, “I thought Ella was getting a little tired in the last inning and when she hit those two we decided to bring Kylie in and let her finish if off for us. I thought she did a good job of throwing strikes.

“We had some good moments but we’re just not being very consistent right now.”

The Lady ‘Canes scored in six of the seven innings but couldn’t got a big hit to break the game open. They left the bases loaded twice.

East struck quickly. Keely Shisler led off with a bunt single and Hudson Cloninger walked. Wampler laced a double to left-center field to score Shisler and Cloninger scored as Hamilton grounded out.

The Lady ‘Canes added one in the second when Hailey Hall singled and scored on a bunt single by Cloninger that made it 3-0.

Hamilton singled with one out in the third and Kaleah Davis walked. They both scored on a hit by Rader as the margin increased to 5-0.

After a scoreless fourth inning, East added another pair in the fifth when Hamilton had the only hit in the inning.

The home team finally got on the scoreboard in their half of the fifth. Ashley Morgan led off with a hit and was forced at second by Hannah Cline. Jenna Kritison was hit by a pitch and Jocelyn Hendrick got on by an error to load the bases.

It looked like the Bearettes could have a big inning when Caylee Sutton singled to right field to knock in a run. However, Hailey Hall threw Kritison out at the plate on the play and catcher Zoe Shelley fired to third to get Headrick and end the frame.

East made it 8-1 in the sixth when Cloninger walked and came around to score on a double by Hamilton.

The Bearettes threatened in the bottom of the inning when Kairi Smith had a hit to left and wound up on second when the ball took a bad hop, hitting left fielder Cloninger in the face. Smith went to third on a ground out but Maples walked and her pinch-runner stole second.

However, Wampler struck out the next batter to get out of trouble.

In the seventh, Rader walked and Hannah Hall ran for her. Hall went to third on a hit by Hailey Hall and scored as Shisler reached on a fielder’s choice.

Softball: Greeneville 5, Grainger 0

RUTLEDGE – A four-run fifth inning allowed Greeneville to pull away from the Grainger Lady Grizzlies in Thursday’s 5-0 victory.

The Lady Greene Devils went up 1-0 on a double in the first inning but Grainger was able to keep them at bay for the next four innings. Greeneville iced the game away in the fifth with the four runs. The Lady Grizzlies were limited to only two hits in the contest, those coming from Jaylee Hayes and Alison Byrd. Brooklyn Copley had six strikeouts for Grainger and only walked one Greeneville batter.

The Lady Grizzlies are scheduled to play in a tournament at Caswell Park in Knoxville this weekend.

Baseball: Cocke County 4, Morristown East 2

Morristown East could not overcome a three-run first inning by Cocke County on Thursday evening, falling by two runs.

Following that three-run first, East got a run back on a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning that made it 3-1.

Cocke County answered in the fifth with a run to up their lead back to three. East tried to rally in the sixth as they loaded the bases with three straight singles by Carson Winstead, Isaac Greene and Lane Grizzell. A walk to Eli Seals drove in a run, but that was all the ‘Canes could muster.

East will be back in action on Friday as they are scheduled to play Greeneville on the road. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m.