Warren East's Kya Elkin fields a ground ball Wednesday, May 8, 2019, during Warren East's 6-0 win over Greenwood at Greenwood High School. (Bac Totrong/photo@bgdailynews.com)

In a season where Warren East’s softball team can seemingly do no wrong, the Lady Raiders did everything right once again Wednesday against Greenwood.

Needing a win to lock up the No. 1 seed for the District 14 Tournament that opens in two weeks, Warren East backed a solid tandem pitching performance by Katie Gardner and Emma Markham with a few big hits early and solid defense throughout to roll to a 6-0 victory.

The win boosted the Lady Raiders’ overall season mark to 25-0 and wrapped up a perfect 8-0 slate in District 14 play – a first for the program, which also set a single-season record for wins in the regular season.

“It’s a big accomplishment and I’m very excited and proud for the girls,” Warren East coach Philip McKinney said.

The Lady Raiders wasted little time in giving starting pitcher Katie Gardner some wiggle room, plating three runs in both the first and second innings to build a 6-0 lead after two innings.

Warren East got on the scoreboard in the top of the first with three straight one-out hits off Greenwood starting pitcher Allison Bush. Kelsey Sparks got it started with a single and Lucy Patterson followed with another before cleanup hitter Jeyda Bays deposited a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left field for her seventh home run of the season.

“Yeah, I felt like I didn’t hit it well at all,” Bays said. “And I got just enough to send it over the fence. She was throwing low in the zone, so I knew that I had to go down and get it. And I was just trying to hit it hard.”

McKinney said power is nothing new for Bays, who is slightly off last season’s pace after hitting 12 homers last season as a junior.

“Who knows? This could be a jump-start for her,” McKinney said. “She’s still having a good year. She’s hitting over .450.”

The Lady Raiders struck for three more runs in the second. Kya Elkin led off with a single and Shelby Trent followed with a double before Hailey Hymer drove in both runners with another double to end Bush’s outing. Sparks greeted reliever Kayden Murray with an RBI single, but marked the end of the scoring.

It was plenty for Gardner and Markham, who combined for seven scoreless innings.

Gardner, a Tennessee-Martin signee, worked the first four innings. After no-hitting the Lady Gators in their first meeting April 9, Gardner wasn’t quite as untouchable Wednesday. McKinney said Gardner’s riseball wasn’t as sharp as normal, and Greenwood (15-8 overall, 6-2 District 14) did manage a few base runners – including a clean single by Murray in the second.

Gardner still finished with seven strikeouts and allowed just that hit to earn the win.

“That’s what – in my mind, the best pitcher in the state, that’s what she can do,” McKinney said. “When you don’t have your best pitch, you can go to your second or third and still command it and still keep it around the zone and still get the swing and miss, and that’s what she did.”

Markham, a freshman who filled in admirably for Gardner last season when the Lady Raiders’ ace was sidelined for a chunk of the season with an injury, came on in the fifth and tossed three more scoreless innings. She allowed just two hits while also fanning seven.

“She had a nice year last year, coming in when Katie got hurt,” McKinney said. “She hasn’t got to pitch that much this year, but she came in like she hadn’t missed a beat.”

Murray did solid work in relief for the Lady Gators, allowing just three hits in 5 2/3 innings. The eighth-grader struck out six, including the side in the third.

Warren East is back in action Thursday at home against Allen County-Scottsville. Greenwood also plays again Thursday at Logan County.

Warren East 330 000 0 – 6 9 1

Greenwood 000 000 0 – 0 3 1

WP – Gardner. LP – Bush. SV – Markham.