Huffman takes down Liberty 3-1
Liberty's Jaylen Prichard is greeted at home plate by her teammates after her lead-off homer on Tuesday night at home against Huffman.
Liberty shortstop Reese Evans is ready to field her position on Tuesday night at home against Huffman. The Vindicator | Jerry Michalsky
After giving up a lead-off home run to Liberty’s Jaylen Prichard to start the game, Huffman’s Christin Haygood shut down the Lady Panthers the rest of the way as the Lady Falcons came out on top 3-1 on Tuesday evening at Liberty high school in a district tilt between two top teams. Kaci West of the Lady Panthers struck out nine in the loss. The senior walked six with a smaller strike zone. Prichard started Liberty off in style in the bottom of the first inning by taking a Haygood change-up over the center-field wall for a 1-0 lead. Huffman tied the game up at 1 in the top of the second inning by scoring a run on a wild pitch. The Lady Panthers threatened in the bottom half of the frame with a single by Hollie Thomas and after a fielder’s choice by Kamdyn Chandler, it was Reese Evans reaching on a hit-by-pitch. Haygood came back to get out of the jam with a strikeout. The Lady Falcons then grabbed the lead in the fourth inning with a home run to make it a 2-1 game. In the bottom of the fifth, the Lady Panthers got a two-out triple by Bailee Slack. Liberty could not score Slack, though, as Haygood got the third out of the inning on a line-out. Huffman added to their lead in the sixth frame with a run and the advantage was 3-1. Down to their last at-bat, the Lady Panthers got a runner on base with Chandler reaching on an error, but Haygood came back to get the final two outs of the game for the Huffman win. Maci Beam had two hits for Liberty, who will travel to Hardin-Jefferson on Thursday night.