Cyclone ladies too much for Bulldogs

from staff reports

   With freshman Kristi Keys picking up two wins on the mound, the Elizabethton Lady Cyclones took an 11-3, 6-3 Watauga Conference sweep of Hampton on the 'Betsy diamond Tuesday afternoon.
   Keys worked three innings and Sarah Ruston two in the opener, which saw Hampton grab a quick 2-0 advantage before EHS tallied five runs in the bottom of the first inning.
   With the score at 8-4 in the bottom of the fifth, the Lady Cyclones pushed across three more runs to put the Hampton girls out of reach.
   Brittany Hilton went 1-for-1 with four RBIs and a pair of runs to pace Elizabethton, while Abbie Jenkins batted 1-for-2 and drove two runs.
   Joy Gardner paced the Lady Bulldogs with a 1-for-2 effort that included a run and an RBI.
   Keys (5-2) tossed a one-hitter in the second game. Hampton once again jumped on top (1-0) in the first, but EHS responded with two runs in second, third and fourth frames.
   For the Lady Cyclones, Michelle Collins had a 1-for-2 showing with a run and a sacrifice. Jenkins went 1-for-2 and Whitney Lyons lofted a sacrifice fly.
   "We played pretty good defense," said Lady Cyclone coach Gerald Jenkins. "We had a few errors, but they didn't hurt us real bad. Our pitching was real good. I pitched all freshmen."
   Elizabethton entertains Sullivan North this Thursday while Hampton pays a visit to Happy Valley.