For three of Alcovy’s players, Tuesday night would be their last regular season home game at Alcovy. Ricki McKnight, Raven Smith and Kalia Johnson suited up for their home regular season finale against rival Newton no less, and prevailed with a 6-1 victory.

Johnson took the circle and pitched a great game, as she finished with 13 K’s, giving up just four hits through seven innings pitched for the win. Britney Ellis pitched for Newton and scattered six hits across the board, giving up five earned runs.

“She always gives her best when she goes out there and we always expect for her to have a high amount of strikeouts, but we’re always ready in case they do put the ball in play,” Brandy Keeter, Alcovy head coach, said.

Johnson struck out her first six batters and along with Smith helped give Alcovy a solid lead after the first inning. After Ellis got the Lady Tigers’ first two batters out, Smith recorded a single down first. Johnson, however, would follow up Smith’s single with a home run shot deep in left-center, that would’ve kept going had it not hit a tree to give the Lady Tigers a 2-0 lead after the first inning.

“I was hoping it was gonna go. I wasn’t sure of it was, but I was hoping,” Johnson said smiling about her home run.

Newton remained hitless through two-and-a-half innings and the Lady Tigers added two more runs to their total in the bottom of the third inning. Amber Bagley was hit by a pitch before Smith knocked her in when she smacked a shot to deep center field for an RBI double. Smith would score on an error as the inning ended with Alcovy up 4-0 entering the fourth.

Newton got its first hit of the game at the top of the fourth inning when Ciara Bryan laid down a bunt and sped to first base. Markayla Price followed with a bunt of her own, that resulted in Price being thrown out and Bryan using her exceptional speed to get to third on the hit. The next two batters were forced into an out and Bryan was left stranded in a pivotal inning for the Lady Rams.

Newton’s defense held tight, pulling off a 6-4-3 double play to get the first two outs of the inning before a pop out ended the fourth.

Other than a double from Ashton McKinnon, Newton’s offense couldn’t get anything going at the top of the fifth, but the Lady Tigers capitalized on the Lady Rams’ offensive woes. The odd innings must’ve been a favorite for Alcovy, because the Lady Tigers started off strong in the bottom of the fifth.

Lanie Knight doubled with a hit to left and Bagley laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Knight to third. Smith struck again with an RBI triple. Smith would score by tagging up after Johnson popped out to deep center as Price made a beautiful diving catch to get the out.

Bryan singled to right to get on. She would steal second soon after, but when Bryan stole third a passed ball led to her running home free, and scoring the Lady Rams’ only run of the game. Another strikeout ended the inning for Newton. Neither team recorded another hit for the rest of the game and the Lady Tigers prevailed 6-1.

“We have three seniors: Ricki McKnight, Raven Smith and Kalia Johnson. They all have made a big impact this year on the team, so it’s gonna be a huge loss to lose those three,” Keeter said.

For McKnight, Johnson and Smith the night was bittersweet, as the got the victory, but realized that this would be one of the last times they’d get to play at home with their friends.

“I’ve actually loved it,” Johnson said of her experience playing at Alcovy. “We’ve had a bunch of different coaches and every time I’ve had a great experience. It’s been fun playing under everybody and with everybody. We lost a lot of good people and we’re getting more in now.”

“It’s a good season. It’s been good,” McKnight added. “I’m gonna miss it a lot. I don’t know what to do with myself anymore after this, but all in all this is probably my favorite season.”

“It was fun. I enjoyed it. It was a long time from freshman year to senior year. Freshman year it was different, but senior year it was fun. It really was. Our team was together. We had lots of fun and I’m looking [forward] to finish the year,” Smith said.

“As a teammate I think I’ve evolved,” Smith added. “Helping the younger girls, I’ve took on a leadership role and I’m just trying to set the example for the other girls that are going to be here next year.”