KELLY RETURNS TO QUARTERFINALS; LADY HAWKS EDGE EAST CARTER COUNTY 2-1

BENTON -- The 13th brought good fortune to Kelly after all.

Kelly won its 13th consecutive sectional title with a 2-1 victory over East Carter County Thursday at Kelly.

The Lady Hawks (15-7) advance to play in a Class 2A quarterfinal on Saturday. Their opponent has not been decided because of rain canellations.

East Carter finished the season 18-2.

Kelly scored the game-winning run on a disputed call in the sixth inning.

With runners on second and third base and one out, Natalie Robert bunted. East Carter pitcher Kara Phillips threw home to nail Audrey Burford at the plate.

Robert attempted to take second base on the play. When the throw came through, she went in standing and collided with the second baseman, who dropped the ball.

Ashley Beggs, who was at second when the play began, scored while the Lady Redbirds chased after the ball.

East Carter argued, to no avail, that Robert had interfered on the play.

"As far as we're concerned, you have to slide," East Carter coach Angie Bowman said. "We've never known anything different."

Robert, the Lady Hawks centerfielder, said, "I really didn't know there was going to be a play, so I didn't slide. I thought I was out until I saw the ball on the ground."

East Carter took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and held it until the fourth.

Monique Thompson singled to begin the first inning for the Lady Redbirds. After advancing to second on a passed ball, she scored on a single by Phillips.

Kelly struggled to scratch out two hits against Phillips (11-1) in the first three innings of the contest. But the Lady Hawks broke through in the fourth.

Megan Beggs led off with a single to left field, moved to third base when Burford reached on an error, and scored on a wild pitch. Faced with a two-on, nobody-out situation, Phillips escaped the jam to keep the game tied at 1-1.

Kelly starter Brittany Lambert (7-4) settled down after the first, allowing only five hits and no runs in her final five innings.

She was rewarded with the disputed run in the sixth. Megan Beggs led off the inning with a double which hit the left field fence on one hop.

"It was a meat pitch," said Beggs, who was hitting .416 prior to the game. "After I hit it, I just kind of watched for a minute."

Burford bunted for a hit and stole second, giving Kelly runners at second and third with nobody out.

Megan Beggs was thrown out at home on Ashley Beggs' bunt, setting up the play of the game.

Marissa Essner pitched around an error in the seventh inning for the save.

"I was just praying it would go our way," Beggs said. "We were a little superstitious about our 13th (potential quarterfinal appearance). But as soon as we started putting the ball in play, I knew we were going to get the hits."

Kelly, the Class 2A state champ last year and runner up two years ago, has recovered from a slow start.

"I don't know if the girls were waiting for this or what," Kelly coach Rhonda Evans said. "This was the absolute best game we've played this season."