Lady 'Toppers Pour Past M-West; Earn Second Ever Region Final, Sectional Berth
JOHNSON CITY – Science Hill’s game plan is always to grab an early lead and stay ahead.
Lady ‘Topper coach Megan Harmon, who previously had served as Lady ‘Topper soccer coach, doubled down on that philosophy in Monday’s 7-0 Region 1-AAAA semifinal victory over Morristown West played often in a driving rain at Metro-Kiwanis Park.
“Going back to my coaching soccer days, conditions are the same for everybody,” said Harmon. “We did talk about the conditions and that we wanted to get on them early. That’s always part of our game plan, but specifically tonight, that was part of our game plan.”
Senior Kaylee Oler delivered on the plan, lining a two-out, two-run single to right in the bottom of the first to stake the Lady ‘Toppers (28-8) to a 2-0 lead against the Lady Trojans’ ace and Western Carolina signee Briony Bunsic.
“She (Bunsic) is a good pitcher, has always been good, but I knew when I got that first pitch I was going to hit it,” explained Oler.
After taking ball one, Oler jumped on the second offering.
“I was looking for that strike,” Oler added. “First pitch was a ball and now that I’m ahead in the count I’m going to attack the first strike she throws me. It felt really good.”
“Oler’s hit was huge, to break it open like that and give us a little confidence that was huge to make sure we didn’t fall behind early,” added Harmon. “We didn’t want that to bite us if we did get some really bad weather.”
The two runs were all Isabel Meeks would require in the circle as the junior and ETSU commit limited Morristown West to just three singles on the night while walking one, hitting one and striking out a dozen.
“I tried hard not to look at her stats during the game, but she shut them down,” said Harmon. “She absolutely shut them down. She was wanting this game, she was ready for this game.”
Meeks was seemingly unfazed the deteriorating conditions in allowing only two Lady Trojans to advance into scoring position and none to third.
“Horrible,” said Meeks of the elements. “The ball is wet, my hand is wet, I can’t get anything dry. I was just motivated by the fact if we won we got to go to substrate.
Seven of Meeks K’s were swinging, often on a change-up, the other five looking.
“My outside breaking ball, my two-seam specifically,” noted Meeks of those called strike threes. “I threw my off speed well today, my change up was really nice.”
Meanwhile, the Lady ‘Toppers kept adding runs, scoring in all six turns sans the second.
Meeks doubled home younger sister Emma in the third after Emma opened the inning with the second of her three hits on the night. Annabelle Eanes roped a double to right center, moved to third on Ella Meeks’ sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch in the fourth to make it 4-0.
In the fifth, Lora Wilgus walked, courtesy runner Ainsley Craft stole second, went to third ib a passed ball and scored on an errant back-pick attempt.
In the sixth, Emma Meeks walked and Maddie Diamond cranked a mammoth two-run homer to center to up the cushion to seven runs. It was the 13th homer run of the season for the Delaware signee who also upped the RBI tally to 68.
Diamond and Harmon exchanged an emotional hug in the coaching box as the senior rounded the bases.
“I was tearing up a little bit when Maddie was rounding third, because realistically, that could be her last at-bat on this field if we don’t get to host Wednesday or we don’t come back here Friday,” said Harmon. “Just made me a little emotional.”
Science Hill’s opponent and location are yet to be determined for Wednesday’s scheduled Region 1-AAAA championship game. Should Morristown East beat Dobyns-Bennett in their rescheduled semifinal game on Wednesday, the Lady ‘Toppers will travel to Morristown. Science Hill would host with a Lady Indian victory.
Either way, it’s just the second region championship game and sectional berth in school history and the first since 2007.
“We’re making history,” said Meeks. “Only one team before us has ever gone to substrate. It’s a big deal.”
In fact, the regional semifinal was the first for the Lady ‘Toppers since a 2-1 loss at Morristown East in 2019.
“This was so much fun, to go out in those conditions and win a game like this,” said Oler. “It was fine at the beginning but whenever it started pouring at the end, it was a mudhole. You couldn't move your feet. Any ground ball would just die immediately, but we adapted well and got it done.”
| Morristown West | 000 | 000 | 0 | -- | 3 | 2 | |
| Science Hill | 201 | 112 | x | -- | 7 | 7 |
Morristown West – Briony Bunsic and Kaylynn Milton. Science Hill – Isabel Meeks and Lora Wilgus. W – Isabel Meeks, L – Briony Bunsic. 2B – Isabel Meeks, Science Hill; Annabelle Eanes, Science Hill; HR – Maddie Diamond (one on in 7th). RBI – Maddie Diamond, Science Hill 2; Kaylee Oler, Science Hill 2; Isabel Meeks. SB – Science Hill 4 (Kaylee Oler, Ainsley Craft, Kyleigh Metcalf, Emma Meeks).
