VANDERBILT òòò½ÊÓƵ” Tidehaven showed the best version of itself Tuesday night against Industrial.
Fresh off a 2-1 loss against Edna in a makeup game on Monday, the Tigerettes bounced back with a 13-3 District 25-3A victory over Industrial in a crucial battle for playoff position.
"I'm so proud of these girls of not just being able to bounce back, but doing it with a fury," Tidehaven head coach Shauna Hazlewood said. "That shows the fight in them, that shows what they're capable of."
In five innings, the Tigerettes (15-11, 7-3) mustered 16 hits in an offensive explosion, which saw eight of their nine starters get in the hit column.
The biggest bat however was actually swung by the Tigerette on the mound, Kailea Freeman.
"She works so hard, her heart and soul is in it, even when we're not working, she's working," Hazlewood said. "She's kind of been struggling at the plate, and to have her come out like that just shows what's in her."
Freeman struck out in her first at bat, but the senior responded in her next two at bats with home runs to drive in six runs.òòò½ÊÓƵ
"I just changed my mentality, I just thought I need something where I want it rather than I need to hit the ball," Freeman said. "Whenever I hit home runs, I just kind of swing and I know it by the way it sounds, I also tend to close my eyes, and I can feel it like it's going."
Freeman's two big swings at the plate sparked the Tidehaven offense, but she was not alone. Seven different Tidehaven hitters had multiple hits, while four players drove in runs and had extra base hits.
"Everybody's mindset was focused today, we all came together and realized we need to play our game," Tidehaven's Kayleigh Nash said. "We stayed focused and we were very selective at the plate where we were able to get base hits and keep it simple."
While Tidehaven excelled at getting runners on and bringing them around to score, Industrial (12-5-1, 6-4) struggled to bring runners home. The Cobras got runners in scoring position in four of five innings, but only got one hit in those situations.
"I think we got in our heads a little bit today because the last time we played them they run-ruled us," Industrial head coach Jordan Qualia said. "It's a mental game, I think anybody can tell you that and I think we were in our heads before the game even started."
The Cobras did turn a 7-0 deficit into a 7-3 game in the fourth inning, thanks in large part to a Tidehaven error. But the Tigerettes responded with six runs to put the game firmly out of reach.
"I think we got a pòòò½ÊÓƵ”òòò½ÊÓƵ”òòò½ÊÓƵ” off version of Tidehaven and they really showed it to us today," Qualia said. "We always say in this district it can be anyone's game, this district is crazy and it's about whoever shows up that day is going to win."
As things currently stand, Tidehaven and Industrial would be in the postseason and going in the Division II bracket.
The Tigerettes clinched the season series and a tie between the two would result in the Tigerettes getting the district's top seed.òòò½ÊÓƵ
The postseason is not a place where the Tigerettes have found themselves often in recent years, but this year's team is chasing big goals.
"These seniors are itching to keep playing, they want to keep it going and make it to the playoffs," Hazlewood said. "We've been talking about it since last year for them to leave a legacy and change the tide so to speak, that's their thing."
District 25-3A
Tidehaven 13, Industrial 3
Tidehaven 025 06òòò½ÊÓƵòòò½ÊÓƵ” 13 16 2
Industrial 000 30òòò½ÊÓƵòòò½ÊÓƵ” 3 6 0
°Â:ÌýKailea Freeman.òòò½ÊÓƵ³¢:ÌýKhloe Lumpkins.òòò½ÊÓƵHighlights: (T) Freeman 5 IPs, 5 Ks, 1 ER, 2-for-3, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs; Nash 3-for-4, 3B, 3 RBIs, 2 Rs; Duckett 2-for-2, RBI; Mayo 2-for-3, 2B, 3 RBIs, R.òòò½ÊÓƵ(I)òòò½ÊÓƵBalensiefen 1-for-3, RBI; Kolle 2-for-3.òòò½ÊÓƵ¸é±ð³¦´Ç°ù»å²õ:ÌýTidehaven 15-11, 7-3; Industrial 12-5-1, 6-4.
