Lady Cats Break Out Hot Bats in Season Opening Win
by Mike McGee [Photos]
  The Tullahoma Lady Wildcats came out swinging in their season opener against Shelbyville Tuesday at East Middle School, and the result was a 7-1 win that also featured outstanding pitching from senior Chelsea Jones.
Chelsea Jones fires a pitch during Tuesday's 7-1 win over Shelbyville.
  Sophomore Meghan Brayton ripped a triple to right field in the Lady Cats' first at bat of the season, and they were off to the races from there. Freshman Heather Sircy followed with a line drive off the right fielder's glove to score Brayton, and Sarah Binion finished off a two-run first with an RBI single to left.
  Brayton and sophomore Kayla Rzeczycki had singles in the second, but the Lady Cats couldn't take advantage.
  It was a different story in the third, however, as Erica Duke reached on an error, Binion singled off the third baseman's glove and Stephanie Daniel walked to set up Rzeczycki's bases-loaded single to center to score a run. Freshman Emma Chessor then delivered a two-run single to left to make it 5-0.
  Tullahoma added two more in the fourth when Sircy doubled, and Duke, the senior catcher who has signed with UT-Martin, walloped a two-run homer over the center-field fence.
  A 7-0 lead proved more than enough for Jones, who also has signed to play at UT-Martin. She allowed only a Shelby Lamb first-inning double through the first four innings, and kept the Eaglettes off the scoreboard until the seventh inning.
  The Lady Cats travel to Coffee County for another district showdown Thursday at 7 p.m.