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Griggs pitches in Tuesday's home game
Toby Burrell
Maroon Devils Network
Bryson City – Swain scored 3 runs on Tuesday, but it would prove to be enough as senior ace Stacey Griggs pitched a gem. Griggs scattered 2 hits and struck out 16 while walking 2 on her way to earning her 3rd win of the season. Griggs’ 16 strikeouts is a new career high for the senior, eclipsing her mark of 14 she set earlier this season against Cherokee.
The Lady Devils got on the board in the fourth. Brayden Taylor doubled to open the inning. Stacey Griggs doubled to score Taylor just one batter later. Amelia Clough entered to run for Griggs and advanced to 3rd on an Ashley Stevenson ground out. Kele Eagleman got a two out single that scored Clough from 3rd.
Swain added an insurance run in the sixth. Savana Smith doubled to right centerfield, and then advanced to 3rd on a passed ball, where she scored on an Ashley Stevenson ground out.
Kele Eagleman was 2-2 with an RBI, while Griggs and Ashley Stevenson drove in the other Swain runs.
On Friday, the Lady Devils used a huge 9-run third inning to pull away from Hayesville and take a 14-3 win. Swain tallied in every inning, building a 14-0 lead before the Jackets added 3 runs in the top of the fifth inning.
In the third, the Lady Devils sent 13 batters to the plate. Ashley Stevenson started the inning with a walk. Kele Eagleman doubled and Hannah Epperson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hannah Shuler promptly doubled to the gap in left centerfield. One out later Maddie Spates doubled, Brayden Taylor singled, Savana Smith singled, Stacey Griggs singled and then Stevenson doubled in her second at bat of the inning, and was followed by a single from Eagleman in her second at bat. Swain would score 9 runs on 8 hits a walk and a hit batter.
Those runs would be more than enough for Stacey Griggs who picked up her second win of the season in the circle. Griggs struck out 8, walked 1 and scattered 4 hits, while none of the runs scored by the Jackets were earned.
Maddie Spates went 3-3 on the day scoring a pair of runs and driving in a pair. Savana Smith had a pair of hits and drove in 4 runs, while Griggs and Hannah Epperson each had 2 hits and 2 runs batted in on the day, Kele Eagleman also finished with a pair of hits while driving in a run.
Last Tuesday marked the first showdown of the season for the Lady Devils as they traveled to defending SMC Champion Robbinsville. It turned out to be a pitching dual between Swain’s Stacey Griggs and Robbinsville’s Memory Frapp. Robbinsville scored 5 runs on 6 hits to take a 5-1 win over the Lady Devils. With the win the Knights remain in first place with a 2-0 record.
The loss followed a 4-1 win over Cherokee after rain played havoc to the opening week for the Lady Devils.
The team will travel to Hiwassee Dam tomorrow, Friday, April 2 with a game time start of 4:30 p.m.