Spring Garden kept pace with Cherokee County for five innings, but the Class 3A No. 6 ranked Lady Warriors (17-2) pulled away for a 5-1 victory last Thursday in Centre.

The score was tied at 1-1 until the bottom of the fifth when Rachel Hale’s two-out double drove in Kaitlyn Griffith to give CCHS the lead for good.

The hosts then used a three-run sixth inning to give starting pitcher Bree Blevins some insurance.

Seventh grader Blevins proceeded to retire the Lady Panthers in order in the top of the seventh to clinch the win.

Blevins allowed three hits, one run and one walk while striking out three.

At the plate for Cherokee County, Lauren Milsaps went 2-for-2 with a run scored, while Griffith went 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Hale and Anissa Anglin each went 1-for-3.

“The best thing about this team is that we stay in the game and come through in the latter innings,” said CCHS head coach Travis Barnes. “Once we see a pitcher for a few at-bats, we adjust and get some hits. Bree pitched another good game, and our defense was solid.”

Jessie Barnes took the loss, allowing five hits, four earned runs and three walks while fanning five.

Barnes kept CCHS off-balance early on, allowing only two hits until Hale’s double-bagger.

“Jessie did a good job; two of their [fifth-inning] runs came off errors,” said Spring Garden head coach Ann Welsh. “Our hitting is coming around, and we’re close to putting it all together. We have some new people at some new positions, and it takes time to work out all of the quirks that come along with that.”

At the plate for the Lady Panthers (5-11), Bridget Parris went 1-for-2 with a double.

Barnes and Jessica Wall each went 1-for-3.

Blevins made short work of the visitors over the first three innings, retiring the first nine Spring Garden batters.

The Lady Warriors took one-run lead in the bottom of the first when Kara Bomian’s single brought home Griffith.

Barnes kept the Centre squad at bay following the above score, as she retired 13 of the next 18 CCHS batters while permitting just three baserunners.

Barnes helped her cause with a leadoff single in the top of the fifth.

She later came home on Nicole Ledbetter’s sacrifice fly to even the score at 1-1.

The Lady Warriors regained their advantage for good in the bottom of the inning.

CCHS padded its lead in the sixth, when Anglin and Milsaps singled and scored on errors to widen the gap to 4-1.

Griffith’s triple plated Carrie Machleit later in the inning for a four-run Lady Warrior advantage, and Blevins shut the door in the top of the seventh