Robbinsville – Less than a week removed from a 10-0 6-inning defeat to 1st place Robbinsville the Lady Devils squared off with the Knights again on Monday. This time the Lady Devils went toe-to-toe with the Knights for a full 7 innings coming up just short of pulling off the upset. Robbinsville clinched the SMC regular season crown with a 12-9 win over Swain.
The Lady Devils gave up 5 unearned runs in the bottom of the 1st, as it looked as though the game would be another Black Knight easy win. But the Devils sprang to life in the top of the 3rd. Kendall Bowers started the comeback with a solid single, to give Swain its first base runner of the game. Grace Cabe reached when she was hit by a pitch. Kenzie Eagleman ripped a solid single to score the fleet footed Bowers from second. Shayne Catolster coaxed a walk to load the bases. Alissa Smith walked as well to plate Cabe from 3rd. Kyndle Jones hit a fly ball to centerfield, a would be sacrifice fly, that was mis-played by the Knights defender, allowing Eagleman to score. With the bases still loaded Stacey Griggs singled back up the middle to score both Catolster and Smith.
When the dust settled on the top of the 3rd the Lady Devils had come back to tie the game at 5. But that would prove short-lived. The Black Knights responded with 4 unearned runs to recapture the lead at 9-5.
Swain added a run in the top of the 4th as Kenzie Eagleman drew a walk, promptly stole 2nd and 3rd base. Alissa Smith singled Eagleman home with the Devils 6th run.
Robbinsville added 3 more runs in the bottom of the 4th to build a 12-6 lead.
In the 6th the Lady Devils added another run. Grace Cabe reached on an error. Eagleman followed with her 3rd hit of the day, a single, to put runner on 1st and 2nd. Both eventually advanced to 2nd and 3rd on a passed ball. Swain’s only run of the inning came on an Alissa Smith sacrifice fly that scored Cabe.
Swain rallied for a pair of runs in the 7th. Kyndle Jones and Stacey Griggs started the inning by both reaching base. Alyssa Haymond reached on an error that allowed both Jones and Griggs to score.
For the game Kenzie Eagleman finished 3-3 with 2 runs scored an rbi and 4 stolen bases. Stacey Griggs was 3-4 with a pair of rbi, Alyssa Haymond also added a pair of rbi. Alissa Smith drove in 3 runs with a single and sacrifice fly.