Elena Escobar struck out 15 of the 23 batters she faced and Hannah Sundberg and Ashlyn Easley both added a pair of RBI as the Summit High School softball team defeated Dyer County 4-0 Wednesday night in a winners’ bracket semifinal of Class AAA State Championships at StarPlex Park. Escobar gave up only two hits, a single in the first and another in the seventh, to completely handcuff a squad that had upset top-ranked Siegel earlier in the day. “She is such a tough competitor,” Summit coach Jenny Stevenson said of her senior. “She just takes the ball, goes out on the mound, has that look on her face. She is just so mature and composed on the mound. “She was phenomenal again today.” The offensive production against Dyer County came on the heels of beating Daniel Boone in the opening game of the tournament earlier Wednesday with a 5-2 victory. Escobar earned a save in that contest. The nine-run total was an offensive explosion for the Lady Spartans, one more than they had scored in five of their last six games combined. “It’s been that way all year,” Stevenson said. “We know that with our pitching and our defense if we can score a couple of runs we can get the win. Having the day we had today I was like ‘Finally.’” The game was decided in the third, when Summit put three markers on the board.

Emma Beach opened the frame with a walk before giving way to Jadyn Pittman as a courtesy runner. Abby O’Reilly then reached on a bunt that was misplayed and advanced on a bad throw. Easley followed with a bloop behind second that scored Pittman before Sundberg slammed a fastball deep to center for a double that cleared the bases to give Summit a 3-0 lead. Sundberg closed 2-for-3, while Morgan Woodside and Emma Beach added doubles.  In the win over Daniel Boone – Summit’s state tournament debut – the Lady Spartans were keyed by seven hits and four walks at the plate and a combined 13 strikeouts from the mound. Lily Kate Richards started the game, striking out six in 4 1/3 innings, giving up two hits and no earned runs. Escobar finished up the first contest, striking out seven of the nine she faced. O’Reilly delivered a 2-RBI single to give her team and Escobar a little cushion heading into the final inning. Summit will take on Farragut Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the StarPlex. The winner advances to the championship contest Friday while the loser falls to the consolation finals to determine the final team to play Friday.

Source:  Williamson Herald