Hilltoppers, Indians to meet in District 1-4A winner's bracket finale

BLOUNTVILLE — Annabelle Eanes has figured out her power stroke at the right time. The Science Hill junior followed up a walkoff home run last week against Dobyns-Bennett with a two-run shot on a windy Thursday at West Ridge, leading the Hilltoppers to a 4-3 District 1-4A tournament victory over the Wolves. "It felt great. I was just thinking drive the ball, but I definitely didn't think it was going to go that far, but it felt great," said Eanes, whose eighth inning blast since the Hilltoppers past the Indians last week. "I hit one against D-B the other day so I hope I can be on a roll and continue that." So does Science Hill head coach Josh Edens, whose Hilltoppers will face Dobyns-Bennett on Friday at 5 p.m., with the winner advancing to the championship round and earning a regional berth. "That is a big one for both teams tomorrow, no matter who it is," Edens said. "If you get that win you guarantee yourself a berth in region and you breathe it a little bit easier going into your weekend." Science Hill (23-7) defeated the Wolves for a third time this season, but it didn't come easy. West Ridge pushed across two runs in the top of the seventh and still had a runner on second base with no out, but Hilltoppers' starter Isabel Meeks was able to retire the final three batters to end the game. "The umpires were a little challenging, but I felt we really handled adversity really well and we worked together," Eanes said. "We really stepped up. I think we are maturing as a team as the season goes on and we are learning how to work together." Eanes followed a double by Ainsley Craft with one out in the second with a home run over the left field fence for a lead the Hilltoppers would never relinquish. "Striking first was a big boost to the team," Edens said. "Annabelle came up big in the last conference game with Dobyns-Bennett for us in extras. She came up big again." Science Hill made it 3-0 in the third on an RBI double by Kyleigh Metcalf before the Wolves pulled within 3-1 in the fifth on doubles by Kaylee Hicks and Emma Wilson. West Ridge had three errors, including two in the bottom of the fifth, which led to Ella Meeks scoring the eventual winning run on a wild pitch. "Proved to be the difference. We have got a couple of kids, when we get them on the base paths their speed is lethal," Edens said. "In that situation and knowing who we have got on the pads we immediately started looking to manufacture a run. We tried a couple of times and West Ridge shut the door on us and we finally got that one across and thank God we did." West Ridge (20-16), which got all six of its hits from the bottom four hitters in the batting order, rallied in the top of the seventh on a single by Hicks and consecutive doubles from Henley and Wilson before Meeks worked out of trouble. "I am spoiled as a coach. I have got a great staff, I have got the best bunch of girls around to coach, but I will tell you something, for a 41-year-old man they do not do much for my blood pressure," Edens said. "We do things the hard way sometimes, but a win is a win and we will take it." Science Hill will face Dobyns-Bennett today, with the winning advancing to Tuesday's championship game, with the potential to have two games to win one. "We just need to lock in and we just need to win," Eanes said. "Even if we do lose the first game then we always have a second chance the next game, which happened last year so hopefully we can win at least one." West Ridge, which had five doubles, including two by Wilson and one each from Katherine Hortenstine, Hicks and Henley, will face Morristown West on Friday at 7 p.m. in an elimination game. Dobyns-Bennett 9, Morristown West 2 Phoenix Ahles struck out 11, allowed three hits over five innings and also had a two-run single to help the Indians advance to Friday's winner's bracket final against Science Hill. Mary Kate Lively, who had three of the Indians' 10 hits, put Dobyns-Bennett (25-8) up 2-0 in the bottom of the first on a two-run double off Morristown West starter MaKenzie Lucky. The Indians added five more in the fifth, keyed by a two-run single by Ahles and consecutive RBI singles from Evie Porter, Ashlynn Chappell and Emery Depew. Ahles was relieved in the sixth by Allie McConnelee, who also doubled twice and scored three runs. Lively led the Indians with two doubles, a single and drove in a third run in the sixth. Riley Hughes Lipovich followed with an RBI single to finish the scoring for the Indians. Kaylnn Milton led Morristown West's five-hit attack with a solo home run in the sixth. Lucky had two hits and Lynlee McDaniel singled and scored in the second for the Trojans, who have defeated West Ridge twice this season.