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JOHNSON CITY — Stellar pitching and timely home runs highlighted Monday’s District 1-AAA softball winners’ bracket semifinals at Metro-Kiwanis Park. Daniel Boone edged Cherokee 1-0 in the opener and David Crockett upended Dobyns-Bennett 4-0 in the nightcap. The Lady Trailblazers (31-14) take on the Lady Pioneers (30-10) in the winners’ bracket final Tuesday at 5 p.m. In the elimination game, also at 5 p.m., the Lady Indians (16-14) meet the Lady Chiefs (13-15-1). DANIEL BOONE 1, CHEROKEE 0 Boone and Cherokee were locked in a pitchers’ duel throughout the game. The Lady Trailblazers’ Megan Ackerman allowed just two hits and struck out nine, and the Lady Chiefs’ Erin Forgety was equally effective through four innings, holding Boone to just two hits. But that all changed in the bottom of the fifth when Boone freshman McKenna Dietz lofted the first pitch she saw over the left-field fence. “She threw me an inside pitch on the first pitch my last at-bat, so I was looking for it again,” Dietz said. “It felt pretty good when I got ahold of it.” Boone made that lone run stand up. “We preach pitching and defense,” said Lady ’Blazers coach Jeremy Jenkins. “This time of year pitching will carry you, and I like our staff.” Paisley Lyons and Haliey Elkins had Cherokee’s hits. DAVID CROCKETT 4, DOBYNS-BENNETT 0 Crockett broke open the game in the third inning when Lady Pioneers senior Sydney Fox and freshman Mackenzie Baldwin hit back-to-back home runs over the center-field fence. “It was an inside pitch and I was waiting for it,” Fox noted. The Lady Pioneers tacked on two more runs in the sixth and that was more than enough with Kara Weems on the mound. Crockett’s outstanding pitcher allowed just two hits and struck out 11. “My changeup and rise ball were working really well,” Weems said. “I just hit my spots well tonight.” D-B had its chances. The Lady Indians put runners on first and second in both the fifth and sixth innings but could not capitalize. “Just couldn’t get the bunt down when we needed to,” said Lady Indians coach Andy Hubbard. “We need to come back out tomorrow and play hard again.” Griffin Mullins and Baylee Waye had the Tribe’s hits.
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