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Kennett wins softball Conference tournament with blowout win over Portageville
The Kennett Lady Indians won the Bootheel Softball Conference on Wednesday over Portageville, 17-0, in a dominant win that lasted three innings.
There are really only two aspects of this game for the Kennett Lady Indians. It was done on both sides of the ball.
Anelle Harris got the nod to start this one on the mound. Harris pitched a near-perfect game. In three innings, she didn't allow a run and only gave up a few hits on the day.
"Anelle threw it well," said Kennett head softball coach Logan Dollins. "She controlled the strike zone and we made plays behind her. That’s all you can ask of a team."
Of course, sometimes great pitching does not matter when your defense behind the mound isn't great. For Kennett, theirs was. They had very few errors and made their presence felt on defense.
The Lady Indians really had the perfect tournament. They did not allow a single run in either of the games they played in the Bootheel Conference Softball Tournament.
Kennett's runs allowed per game on the year is 4.1. They held Portageville (7-7), a team that averages 9.9 runs per game, to zero points in a championship game.
"We executed well defensively," stressed Dollins. "We were able to move a few girls around to better our defense and played well behind Anelle."
And of course, the offense was spectacular for the Lady Indians in this one. They showed what they have been doing all year.
With runs per game average of 10.8, they were able to surpass that by scoring 17 on Wednesday. Portageville allows 8.6 runs a game, and Kennett (15-7) smashed that number and doubled it.
"I thought we had a good approach at the plate," praised Dollins. "We stayed in the middle of the field and squared the ball up. We were a little more aggressive on the base path. I thought we stayed focused and continue to compete for the entire game."
It all started in the first inning for the Lady Indians. Of course, they had to wait for the bottom of the inning to have their turn. However, when it was their turn, they did not look back.
The first inning saw the Lady Indians score 10 of their 17 runs. It started with Handley McAtee, who lead the Kennett batters off in the first inning. She walked and stole second while out on the bases.
With an infield single that advanced McAtee to third, Aneel Harris would blast a double to bring in two runners, making the score 2-0.
The Lady Indians went through their lineup one whole time in the first inning. They continued to pour it on, as they score seven more runs in the span of two more innings, making it look a lot easier than it really is.
While they won the conference tournament, the job is still not done. Not for a team that has higher aspirations than a conference title.
"We want to continue to play good softball and compete for a district championship," stressed Dollins.
Kennett will play at Dyersburg High School on May 3rd at 4:30 p.m. after having a dominant week of play. Portageville will host a doubleheader for Greenville and Charleston on Saturday, April 30th.