When Addie Mosier induced the final Lady Cougar out in Saturday evening’s 13th District Softball Tournament, Russellville sports history was made many times over.
Mosier, a senior who has been part of Coach Ryan Davenport’s Lady Panther softball program for eight years since 2014 along with cousins Jaylah Kees and Amiyah Collier, pitched the complete game 10-6 win over crosstown rival Logan County, allowing just two earned runs. Mosier also led the champs with three hits, including a double.
Collier, a junior who has been named Fourth Region Softball Player of the Year, hit a three-run homer, walked and scored two runs.
Senior infielder Jacklyn Zuege, who joined the team in mid-season and recently signed to play for Austin Peay State University, drove a Lady Cougar pitch over one fence and into another for a three-run homer, bringing in Ja’eda Poindexter and Mosier ahead of her.
Eighth grader Poindexter, who is Kees’ sister, doubled among her two hits and scored a pair of runs. Kees, a junior who has joined Collier and Mosier in the starting lineup since they were in middle school, singled and reached on an error. She scored on Mosier’s double.
Crissy Higgins, Brinley Mason and Reese Croslin each had a hit and scored a run. Eight of the nine players hit safely and seven of them scored.
Hailey Burgess and Kinley Holloway each had three hits for the Lady Cougars, who had beaten RHS twice during the regular season. Holloway tripled in the third inning and scored on Ali Garrett’s hit. Holloway scored two runs and drove in two.
Shelby Gettings, who had pitched the 1-0 shutout over Todd Central the night before, doubled among her two hits. Her double and Holloway’s triple were the only extra-base hits Mosier allowed.
McKenzie Robinson, Maddix Mowles and Nora Epley all had a hit for the district’s top-seeded team. Natalie Cates and Keirsten Harper scored.
Shayla Johnson pitched the first four innings for Logan. Burgess pitched the next five outs, not allowing a hit, walk or run. She struck out two. Gettings worked the last four outs and gave up the final four Lady Panther runs.
Memorable milestones
History has been made with these Lady Panthers.
*Russellville High School has fielded a softball team for over three decades. The 2022 team has the honor of winning the school’s first district softball championship. The school’s last diamond sports district championship was recorded by the baseball Panthers 12 years ago.
*The Lady Panthers earlier this season became the school’s first team to reach the All A Classic state quarterfinals.
*This was the first 13th District championship by a Russellville girls team (softball, basketball, volleyball or softball) since the turn of the century. Lady Panther Basketball won the district title in 1999.
*Collier was named Regional Player of the Year by Fourth Region Athletic Directors.
*Collier, Kees, Mason and Poindexter were all key players on the Lady Panther team which beat favored Logan County in the district basketball tournament.
*Mosier and Zuege are the team’s only seniors.