The difference a year can make: last season the Lady Tigers didn’t win a game on the softball field, going 0-24 and losing a majority of those games by mercy-rule five-inning outings. At the start of the season, nobody looked twice at Pigeon Forge in District 2-AA. They were the league cellar-dweller and nobody believed that this season would be any different. They were wrong.
Coach Mike Pearson has made a huge impact. The Lady Tigers are playing a rough-and-tumble schedule that includes the like of state contender Maryville and traditionally strong programs like Rutledge and Webb. PFHS has won six games already this season.
The first sign things were changing appeared in the first game, a 9-0 loss to Maryville. Pigeon Forge lost but they went the full seven innings and while not scoring, it was against a pitcher who gave up one run in last year’s state tournament run. Nobody noticed, except for the parents and players.
PFHS has notched six victories this season, four in district play. A good run and more of the continued improvement in team play could lay the fairy dust needed for a worst-to-first story. But that’s half a season away.
Further down the road for the Lady Tigers is something more. Coach Pearson is laying the groundwork for a program. His starting nine are very young. Given a hope and a dream, the girls are making the most of themselves now.
In Monday’s 6-5 victory over Union County, Pigeon Forge showed how they are rising from the cellar. Suzanne Shultz pitched seven solid innings giving up two hits and striking out nine. Jessica Smith collected an RBI single in the second to cut the Union County lead to 2-1. The Lady Tigers went ahead in a three run third on strong play by Shultz and Jocelyn Price. Shultz had an RBI double to bring in one run and solid battling led to two runs being walked in for scores.
Union County battled back and scored two in the seventh to knot things at five. The Lady Tigers didn’t blink. Shultz retired the side before any more damage could be done and they went to work on winning the game. Kendra Newman was inserted as a pinch runner and was in scoring position at third when a passed ball got away from the catcher. Playing safe, Pearson held her at third, not wanting to risk his lone runner. “In hindsight, I should have let her go, but I didn’t want to see us give the game away in that situation, I wanted to win,”said Pearson.
Still not faltering, the Lady Tigers went back to work in the extra inning. Jessica McCarter retired the side in relief. PFHS then used hit-and-run tactics as McCarter reached on an error by the shortstop. She stole second and moved to third on a Tara Cannon sacrifice bunt. Haley Johnson laid down a dribble bunt up the middle that sent McCarter head down, heels out for home. McCarter went straight in and the catcher dropped the bunted ball, Pigeon Forge won the game 6-5 in an extra inning.
The players were excited but asking their coach what they should have done differently to improve. “We’re not about moral victories anymore,” said Coach Pearson, “I think people are going to be looking at us differently in the second half of the district season and we have to be ready.”
Pigeon Forge travels to Webb for a rematch on Wednesday and host a double header against South Greene on Friday night.

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