MORRISTOWN — The Lady Indians were able to use Morristown’s King Park as a launch pad on Wednesday afternoon, hitting four home runs. Three of them came from the same bloodline.
Hailey Porter smacked two long balls and younger sister Evie mashed one as D-B downed District 2-4A champion Morristown East 13-3.
“It’s kind of like a 1-2 punch,†the elder Porter said. “You can’t get one Porter without the other right now. That’s how we like to be. That’s how we are in travel ball. We feed off each other’s energy. Although I think everybody fed off everybody today.â€
Dobyns-Bennett (22-15) struck early and often, scoring six runs in the first three innings. After Hailey Porter opened the game up with a double, she was able to come around to score on a Morristown East error in the first.
Her next trip to the plate, the shortstop and ETSU signee got even more of the ball, launching a two-run homer over the center field fence. In the third, little sister made it double-trouble, cranking a solo homer to right as part of a three-run inning.
“I saw it outside,†Evie Porter said. “I was thinking, ‘I’m going to go out and wait for my pitch.’ Sometimes I hit outside pitches well. I just saw it and was ready to go.â€
After the senior Porter hit another solo shot in the sixth, the two combined to 7-for-8 with a double, three home runs, five RBI and five runs scored. The weren’t the only ones to see the visiting park play small, though, as Mary Kate Lively led off the top of the fifth with a solo shot. The right fielder went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored.
Morristown East (14-13) did all of its damage against D-B starter, Phoenix Ahles. Specifically, it was leadoff hitter Harmony Sullivan. She saw two pitches from the Lady Indian arm, and hit both of them out of the park, one for a solo shot and the other for a two-run blast.
After Ahles completed three full innings, the rest of the game belonged to Allie McConnelee, and she delivered. The right-hander tossed the last four frames of the game without giving up a baserunner, striking out four.
McConnelee said she feels she pairs well with Ahles coming out of the bullpen, due to their pitches having different actions.
“Phoenix lives up-and-down, and she lives there well,†McConnelee said. “And I live more side-to-side. So I think the difference in that – because we’re probably about the same velocities – so just the difference in movement freaks people out, too.†Dobyns-Bennett provided plenty of add-on runs in the later innings, specifically in the seventh, where they posted a four-spot.
After the leadoff hitter grounded out, each of the next six Lady Indians all reached base safely. Riley McMillan drove home two on a base hit to right, McConnelee added on one more on a hit, then McMillan later scored on a wild pitch.
In total, Dobyns-Bennett tallied 15 hits to plate 13 runs, with McConnelee, McMillan, and Laiken Hinson all having multiple hit days to go with Lively and sisters Porter.
Now the Lady Indians have to quickly turn their attention to the region final and the sectional rounds. Due to the inclement weather early in the week, Dobyns-Bennett is now tasked with three games in three days, starting with Wednesday’s win.
One of the ways they look to stay rested: supporting the D-B baseball team in the sectional round.
“They came out and supported us in the district tournament,†McConnelee said. “So we’re going out and supporting them in sectionals.â€
Up Next
Dobyns-Bennett plays Science Hill in the Region 1-4A Championship game on Thursday.
