It’s very rare that we get to see Dickson County and Creek Wood face off in a best of three.
In basketball, softball, and baseball, they will normally play twice a year.
No postseason matchup because they are not in the same classification.
So when the Lady Cougars defeated Creek Wood 10-0 in the opening game, followed by a close 4-2 Lady Red Hawk win, we thought that was it.
The series split 1-1 and obviously two very talented teams who would never get to resolve the series.
That all changed Wednesday night.
Concerned their game Thursday with Kenwood might get rained out, Dickson County decided to shift senior night back a day.
The issue was, that Kenwood could not make the trip Wednesday.
So now the Lady Cougars needed an opponent.
Who better than their cross-county rival.
Creek Wood had a couple of open dates before starting their district tournament Friday, and you have to think they were itching for the rubber match.
It lived up to the billing.
If you missed it, you missed a game with everything.
An 8-7 Lady Cougar Victory that included; errors, diving catches, base hits, extra base hits, double plays, bang bang plays at several bases, runs in almost every inning, and a walk-off.
The only thing missing, technically, was a home run.
Both teams left it all on the diamond.
Again, if you missed it, shameless plug, I suggest you go back and listen at the link below.
When it came down to it though, on senior night, the seniors showed up.
Despite giving up seven total runs, one in the top of the seventh, Alexia Hoskins seemed to get stronger as the game went.
Literally.
She had more behind her fastball in the sixth and seventh than the previous five innings.
Bella Blackwell, not once, but twice stepped out and spoke with her teammates collecting their focus.
Then came your game MVP, Lili Proctor.
Proctor came up with two crucial catches in the top of the seventh.
On back-to-back line drives, hard hit to center field, she collected herself and charged in to make the catch.
Not finished yet though, Proctor also did it at the plate.
Down a run, with two outs and two runners on, Proctor did when you want from any senior.
Despite not having the hottest year at the plate, in a clutch situation she delivered.
Shortening up her swing, taking the bat to the ball, she drove the pitch right back up the middle into center field for a walk-off, two RBI, single, and the win.
Her teammates swarmed her at first base as tears ran down her face, you could tell it meant a lot in this rivalry game.
Both teams have a lot of momentum coming out of this game to carry with them.
Creek Wood just has to continue to hit as hot as they have and play solid defense.
The Lady Red Hawks have scored six plus runs in their last ten games, and a combined seventeen against Waverly and Dickson County, two extremely talented teams.
Meanwhile, the Lady Cougars have to take the emotion and carry it with them.
Ride the high.
Their bats came alive, and that has to continue, but their defense will keep them in every game.
Two double plays and upperclassmen everywhere on the field, if they keep hitting, they will keep winning.
