However, Heather Gibson’s walk off homer in the fifth
inning signaled the end of a dominant game by the
Sweetwater Lady Wildcats on Monday afternoon.
Gibson’s shot in the bottom of the fifth inning gave
Sweetwater a 10-0 win over the Polk County Lady
Wildcats, ending the game due to the mercy rule.
The game kicked off the second round of the District 5-
AA Tournament.

Kayla Kerns turned in another dominant game on the
mound for Sweetwater, throwing a complete game while
allowing only three hits. Kerns recorded 10 strikeouts,
giving her 22 over the last two games.
Alyssa Price took the loss for Polk County after allowing
10 runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings of work.

Price did not get much help from her defense as Polk
County committed four errors.
Sweetwater struck in the bottom of the first as Emily
Crush led off with an infield single. Crush scored
Sweetwater’s first run on a Polk County throwing error
when Casey Newton hit a ball back to the pitcher.

Andrea Adams collected an RBI with an infield single to
second base, scoring Newton in the process.
Hannah West had the big shot of the inning, sending a
pitch over the right field fence for a three-run homer that
put Sweetwater up 5-0.

Gibson scored the final run of the inning when she and
Amber Plemons hit back-to-back doubles with Plemons
collecting the RBI.
Sweetwater added another run in the next inning when
West collected her fourth RBI of the day on a bunt single
that scored Newton.

Polk County’s only threat came in the third when Alex
Rogers and Kelsey Wilcox recorded back-to-back singles.
However, Kerns fielded a ground ball by Pebbles King and
flipped the ball to first to end that threat.
Kerns went on to strike out four of the final six batters
she faced.

West struck out to lead off the bottom of the fifth, but
Paige Hicks reached base with a single to right and Jessica
Carroll reached by error.
That set the stage for Gibson’s walk off shot and sending
Sweetwater to the winner’s bracket of the tournament.
Gibson made the most of her three plate appearances,
going 3 for 3 with a single, double, and home run. She
also collected three RBIs.

West finished going 2 for 3 from the plate with a home
run, single, and knocking in four runs.
Rogers was the only Polk County player to collect more
than one hit as she went 2 for 2 with two singles.
Sweetwater hosted Meigs County on Tuesday afternoon.
A win in that game would secure a trip to the region
tournament for the Lady Wildcats.

Check Friday’s edition of The Advocate & Democrat for a
full recap.