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Lady Devils hold on to edge Smoky Mountain
Katie Crisp Katie Crisp connected for an RBI single Monday bringing Smoky Mountain a run Monday in the fifth and final inning of a 5-4 loss at Swain. - Herald photo by Carey Phillips Swain held off Smoky Mountain for a 5-4 softball victory Monday in a five-inning game played at Bryson City.

"We had key hits when we needed them but came up short," Coach Melissa Hill said.

The Lady Mustangs (0-3) had nine hits to Swain's five. The difference in the game was the Lady Devils played errorless ball while Smoky Mountain committed four miscues.

An error helped Swain go ahead 1-0 in the first. The Lady Devils extended the lead to 4-0 in the second keyed by base hits from Tiffany Crisp and Amy Cunningham. Two errors helped Swain score the three runs in the second.

The Lady Mustangs, who had been shut out by Pisgah in their first two games, broke through in the third to cut the gap to 4-3 with their first runs of the season. Jennifer Hyatt, Amber Stephens, Tori Kelly, Katherine Quinn and Katie Crisp had consecutive singles. They could have scored more, but a runner was thrown out at the plate.

Jessie Thomason's single led to a run in the Swain third for a 5-3 lead.

Stephens and Kelly singled to start the Lady Mustang fifth. Crisp singled in a run with one out. The game ended on a double play, the second Swain turned in the contest, which keep the tying run from scoring from third base.

Kelly was two of two with a walk. Stephens and Crisp were both two of three, and Crisp had three RBIs.

Jennifer Bartlett was the winning pitcher. Cunningham led the Lady Devil offense by going two of three at the plate with a pair of RBIs.

Kayla Duvall pitched the entire game for the Lady Mustangs.

"Kayla pitched a good game for her first start as a freshman," Hill said.

She said Kelly, Stephens and Crisp all did well at the plate.

The Lady Mustang JVs fell to 0-4 with a 7-3 loss. Julie Cagle had two hits in three at-bats.

"We only had one strikeout against Swain which shows they're coming along," Coach Ed Jones said.

Back to Sports: 03/14/02.