Warriorettes Rally Late for Walk-Off Win vs Blackman

The White County High School softball team had to wait for it — and earn every bit of it — Friday night.

With two games on the schedule, the Warriorettes opened the evening with a back-and-forth battle that went down to the final swing, walking it off for an 8-7 win over Blackman in a game that had a little bit of everything.

It didn’t start that way.

Blackman controlled the early innings, putting up five runs across the first four frames while holding White County off the scoreboard. Through four innings, the Warriorettes were still searching for a spark.

They found it with two outs in the fifth.

Abbi Hutson got things started with a single, and Addison Norvell followed with another base hit to put two runners on. That set the table for Kylie Norvell, who ripped a triple into right field to score both runners and finally get White County on the board.

And once it started, it didn’t stop.

Anna McCulley followed with a double to bring Kylie Norvell home, and Callie Phillips added an RBI single to tie the game. Then came a string of clutch at-bats — Addison Howell, Annie Burrier, and Kaylee Sanders each delivered RBI singles as the Warriorettes flipped the game on its head and took a 6-5 lead.

Blackman answered right back in the sixth, pushing across two runs to reclaim a 7-6 advantage.

But White County wasn’t done.

Hutson singled again to ignite the inning, Kylie Norvell doubled, and Phillips came through once more with an RBI single to tie the game at 7-7 and set up a dramatic finish.

The seventh inning brought the kind of tension you expect in a game like this.

Blackman loaded the bases after a pair of errors and a hit batter, but Hutson came up with one of the biggest defensive plays of the night — snagging a line drive and doubling the runner off first for two quick outs. With two runners still in scoring position, the Warriorettes opted for an intentional walk to set up a force at any base, and it paid off when Kylie Norvell handled a line drive at shortstop to end the threat.

That gave White County one more chance.

Annie Burrier led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and was replaced by courtesy runner Jordan Wright. A fielder’s choice erased Wright, but a sacrifice bunt from Miah Jo Swindell moved Kaylee Sanders into scoring position with two outs.

Pinch runner Kami Clark entered for Sanders — and that decision proved to be the difference.

Hutson stepped in and delivered again, driving a hard ground ball into left field. Clark never hesitated, racing all the way around to score the winning run as the Warriorettes walked it off, 8-7.

Burrier went the distance in the circle, throwing a complete game. She faced 37 batters and needed 102 pitches, 69 for strikes. She allowed seven runs — just three earned — on nine hits and three walks while striking out one.

WHITE COUNTY BOX SCORE:

HITS: Callie Phillips 3, Annie Burrier 3, Abbi Hutson 3, Addison Norvell 2, Kylie Norvell 2, Anna McCulley 1, Addison Howell 1, Kaylee Sanders 1
RUNS: Abbi Hutson 2, Addison Norvell 1, Kylie Norvell 1, Addison Howell 1, Kami Clark 1
RBI: Kylie Norvell 2, Callie Phillips 2, Anna McCulley 1, Annie Burrier 1, Addison Howell 1, Kaylee Sanders 1, Abbi Hutson 1
2B: Anna McCulley, Kylie Norvell
3B: Kylie Norvell
TB: Kylie Norvell 5, Abbi Hutson 3, Annie Burrier 3, Callie Phillips 3, Addison Norvell 2, Anna McCulley 2, Addison Howell 1, Kaylee Sanders 1
SB: Jordan Wright

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