By WAYNE PHILLIPS

Sports Editor

Nothing seems to come easy for South Greene's softball team, but Friday's opening round game in the District 1-AA softball tournament was no exception.

Johnson County, held to two hits over six innings as South Greene opened up a 4-0 lead, made some waves in their final turn at bat, scoring three times before the Rebels were able to escape with a 4-3 win.

The victory sends the Rebels to Elizabethton on Monday for a date with the tournament's top seed, the Unicoi County Lady Devils, who ripped Happy Valley 13-3 in an opening round game Friday. That game is set for 5 p.m.

"We played solid on defense until that last inning when we made some bad decisions on where to throw the ball," Coach Terry Hoese said. "I called time out and reminded them that we were ahead and get the easy out, don't try to cut down runners. I thought Brooke (Kinser) pitched another good game for us. She battles."

Kinser allowed Megan Morefield a single to start the game, then settled down and retired 12 straight batters. She allowed another harmless single in the fifth, retired the side in order in the sixth, but ran into some trouble in the seventh.

Fortunately for the Rebels, they had gained some breathing room off Johnson County's Sam Mahala by scoring three runs in the third inning.

Courtney Laney beat out an infield single with one-out, and Brittany Kinser followed with a double to the fence, putting runners on first and second. Sydne Rader came through with a clutch two-run single. Rader scored later in the inning when the Longhorns made their only error of the contest.

The score remained at 3-0 until the bottom of the sixth when the Rebels plated what turned out to be an all-important insurance run.

Brook Ricker led off with a single, and Chelsea Renner beat out a bunt. The runners moved up on a double steal. Brooke Kinser got the RBI when an infield grounder, scoring Ricker.

The Lady Longhorns were determined to not go down without a fight. Allyson Reece led off the seventh with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. Brianna Easley followed with a run-scoring double. With one out Jill South ripped a hit up the middle and Easley scored on a close play at the plate. South never stopped running and wound up at third base on the play, and later scoring on a two-out hit by Megan Meade.

But Kinser got her eighth strikeout of the ball game for the third out, leaving the tying run stranded at first base.

Anna Malone had two hits, including a double, while Brittany Kinser also doubled for the Rebels. Easley's double paced Johnson County's six-hit attack.

JC AB R H SG AB R H

M'field,cf 3 0 1 Bt.K'ser,cf 3 1 1

Wilson,ss 3 0 0 Rader,2b 3 1 1

Reece,1b 3 1 1 Malone,rf 3 0 2

Easley,2b 3 1 1 Casteel,3b 3 0 0

Ba'rdi,lf 3 0 1 Ricker,c 3 1 2

South,c 2 1 1 Renner,ss 2 0 1

Henson,dh 3 0 0 Crum,lf 3 0 0

Mahala,p 0 0 0 Bk.K'ser,p 3 0 0

Meade,3b 3 0 1 Laney,dh 3 1 1

Potter,rf 3 0 0 Cannon,1b 0 0 0

TOTALS 26 3 6 TOTALS 26 4 8

2b Hits: JC-Easley; SG-Bt.Kinser, Malone. WP: Bk. Kinser. LP: Mahala.

Score by innings:

Johnson County 000 000 3--3 6

South Greene 003 001 x--4 8