The Coalfield and Oliver Springs rivalry is long and storied one in the state, no matter the sport or whether it’s girls or boys playing.
That was the case Tuesday evening at Arrowhead Park as the Lady Cats won big, 13-3, to down their rivals in a Senior Night victory.
As is often the case, all it can take in a team sport is one player stepping up their game.
For Oliver Springs Tuesday evening, it was Layla Alcorn providing the electricity.
Alcorn hit two home runs and drove in four in the Lady Cats’ victory.
The game started with the Lady Jackets scoring first.
Baylee Chadwick doubled in a run, an error from Oliver Springs and a single by Emily Foster put the Lady Cats in a 3-0 hole before they even had a turn at the plate.
The hole didn’t turn out to be very deep, however.
Oliver Springs rebounded quickly scoring four runs thanks to an error, a two-run single from Fayth Christy and single by Hannah McKinney.
Once in control, the Lady Cats never let go.
Three more runs in the second frame came from a triple by Bella Thornton for run followed by the first of Alcorn’s blasts.
Emmeline Patton singled home a run in the third frame to make the score 8-3, keeping the pressure on Coalfield.
The fourth inning saw Alcorn’s second homer along with a hit by Carlee Gallaher, a triple from Jackson Lawson and a base knock by Addison Griffith total five runs in the frame and put the score at 13-3, final total.
Thornton was the winning pitcher. The right-handed senior pitched only two and one-third inning, allowing three runs on three hits.
Ashton Chamblee was the losing pitcher. Griffith got the save for Oliver Springs.
The Lady Cats tallied 16 hits in the contest.
Although Alcorn provided the pop in the line-up, Lawson went a perfect three-for-three at the plate.
Patton, McKinney, Thornton and Christy all collected multiple hits.
For the Lady Jackets, Chadwick, Emily Foster and Isabella McDaniel each had one hit.
Chadwick and Foster also drove in a run apiece.
