Haysi Tops Honaker For Black Diamond District Softball Title

BY LLOYD COMBS
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

HAYSI, Va. – It was a classic team effort on offense for Haysi.
All nine starters scored, eight reached base at least twice and seven drove in runs, as the Lady Tigers claimed the Black Diamond District tournament title with a 16-4 rout of the Honaker Lady Tigers Wednesday at Haysi Kiwanis Park.

Prior to the championship game, Honaker advanced to the finals of the three-team BDD and claimed a regional playoff berth with a 6-1 win over Council.
Haysi (11-8) built leads of 5-0 and 8-4, and added eight runs in the fifth, to add the tourney crown to its regular season title.

Candace Sutherland drove in the first run of the game with a triple in the first and finished 2-for-4, with four runs and two RBIs. Taylor Hay, Brittany Roark and Tanee Hayes all went 2-for-4. Hayes, Monique Sutherland and Sarah Stiltner drove in two runs apiece.

Sydney Sutherland, meanwhile, drove in a run in all four Haysi rallies, one each, in the first inning, the three-run third, the three-run fourth, and the fifth inning.

“This is probably the best-hitting team I’ve played on, as far as 1-through-9, in my four years,” Sydney Sutherland said. “All these girls have worked hard to improve, and I’m proud of all of them.”

A four-year starter behind the plate, Sutherland had a double, two sacrifice flies and drew a bases-loaded walk. She also threw a runner out on a 4-2-6 play in the third inning when the lead runner held at third base on a bunt single, and the batter tried to advance to second when the second baseman threw home.

“Sydney Sutherland is my team leader,” Haysi coach Darrol Poston said. “She’s my best hitter, and she runs the team on the field. When I’m not paying attention she keeps the rest of the girls in line.”
Rachel Horton went 3-for-4 for Honaker. Heather Artrip and Nikki Woolford delivered two-run singles in the fourth, when the Lady Tigers scored all four of their runs off winning pitcher Traci Edwards.

Honaker, which stranded two runners on base in both the third and fifth innings, also made four errors.

“We made a few errors that helped them along,” Honaker coach Donovan Helton said. “But we’re young, and we’ve come a long way since the first of the year when we made 16 errors in one game.
“Once (Haysi gets) going they hit and they hit and they hit the ball. But we only lost to them 5-4 at Honaker, so we know we can play with them.”

Honaker 6, Council 1

In the opening game, Horton and Danielle Shortridge each had a single, a double and an RBI to lead Honaker. Horton doubled home Shortridge with the first run of the game in the second inning, when the Lady Tigers took a 2-0 lead.

Shortridge and Tabby Hart each drove in runs to make it 4-0 in the third. Hart allowed just two hits and one unearned run, while striking out 10 to get the complete-game win.

Haley Arrington scored the lone Council run. Stephanie Cornett, who took the loss, had a double for the Lady Panthers. Council coach Ben Jackson was ejected in the fifth inning after briefly arguing ball and strike calls with the home plate umpire.

Semifinal

Council 000 100 0–1 2 1
Honaker 022 110 x–6 6 2
Cornett and Arrington. T. Hart and Horton. W-T. Hart. L-Cornett.

Final

Honaker 000 400 0–4 7 4
Haysi 203 380 x–16 9 2
Goodson and Horton. Edwards and S. Sutherland. W-Edwards. L-Goodson.