Forrest (26-3-1) and Nolensville (19-11) have gone toe-to-toe all season on the softball diamond with the Lady Knights handing Chapel Hill a 12-2 loss in a regular season District 12-AA contest on April 8.

Forrest has not lost since, reeling off 17 straight victories with four wins in a row over Nolensville, including a 2-1 regular season triumph, two wins in the district tournament, and the fourth coming in Wednesday night’s Region 6-AA championship game with the Lady Rockets coming up with a tough 3-0 win at the Field of Dreams in Chapel Hill.

“The more you play somebody the tougher it gets,” FHS coach Shelby Lightfoot said.

It was a classic pitcher’s duel at Forrest.

The District 12-AA Pitcher of the Year Ashley Milligan struck out 13 and walked two Nolensville batters, taking a no-hitter to the sixth inning before surrendering two hits in the frame.

The Lady Rockets only had three hits off of Nolensville ace Rylan Smith, who was coming off a no-hitter in the Region 6-AA Tournament opener at Waverly.

Milligan retired Nolensville in the top of the first inning and in the home half of the frame, Karley Daughrity reached on an outfield error and the Lady Knights took the bat out of Laura Mealer’s hands as they pitched around and walked her for the first of three times in the contest.

A wild pitch put Forrest runners on second and third before Smith came up with a huge strikeout for the second out.

Forrest sophomore Macyn Kirby worked a 2-0 count before lining a single to left field that sent Daughrity and Mealer to the plate for the only runs the Lady Rockets needed in the game.

“When you have two outs and you have a sophomore, who really lost a year because of Covid last year come up big, that will only build her confidence,” Lightfoot said.

Over the next four innings, Milligan remained in complete control, striking out nine out of the 13 batters she faced. The only baserunners reached on walks.

Smith was just as tough, giving up just two more hits the rest of the game.

Forrest’s third run was recorded in the top of the third inning as Karley Daughrity led off with a base hit and went to second on a wild pitch before Mealer was walked on four straight high pitches.

A groundout sent Daughrity to third and Kirby suffered some bad luck when the ball hit her out of the batter’s box for the second out.

On a 1-2 pitch to Katelyn Helmick, Smith uncorked another wild pitch and Daughrity scored easily for a 3-0 lead.

Milligan sailed through the fifth inning, but in the top of the sixth, Lauren Ryan doubled to lead off the inning and Macy Dupree followed with an infield single to put Lady Knights on the corners.

On a 3-1 pitch, Avery Patton popped-up to Karley Daughrity at third before Milligan showcased her grit, striking out the next two Nolensville batters to end the inning.

“She gave up a couple hits, yeah and then she really bore down,” Lightfoot said. “That was the inning where Parker (catcher Parker Wales) really held on to one, Ashely likes to let it go up top sometimes when she really tries to bring it real hard and Parker snagged some potential passed balls to keep them in the park, so that was big for Ashely to shut them down.”

“We probably don’t give Parker enough credit behind the plate, but oh man, she really goes up and gets some balls, which is big for us.”

In the top of the seventh, Milligan set down the Lady Knights 1-2-3 to finish off the title tilt.

Forrest entertains White House Heritage Friday night at 5 p.m. in a Class 2A sectional contest with a berth to the Spring Fling on the line.

In the only prior meeting between the two schools, Forrest beat the Lady Patriots 3-2 at the Lady Blue Devil Classic in Lebanon on May 1.

“Looking at scores right now, we are thinking White House Heritage,” Lightfoot said. “We got to play them in a tournament earlier, so we know a little bit of what they have moving in to that game.”

“We kind of actually struggled with their pitcher a little bit, but we know what we need to work on tomorrow and gear up for that and we will be ready to go.”

Forrest has won 12 straight sectional games with their only loss coming via a 5-1 setback to Franklin Road Academy in 2004.

Nolensville travels to Greenbrier (33-12), who beat White House Heritage 8-4 in the Region 5-AA championship game Wednesday night.

Nolensville 000 000 0-0 2 1

Forrest 201 000 X-3 3 0

Nolensville: Macy Dupree 1-for-2, Lauren Ryan 1-for-1.

BB: Paige Dickinson, Ryan.

2B: Ryan.

SAC: Dupree.

Team LOB: 4

Fielding

E: Emily Gable.

LP: Rylan Smith (6IP, 3H, 3R, 1ER, 4K, 5BB).

Forrest: Karley Daughrity 1-for-3, Macyn Kirby 1-for-3, Abby Ferguson 1-for-2.

BB: Laura Mealer 3, Ferguson, Maggie Daughrity.

RS: Karley Daughrity 2, Mealer.

RBI: Kirby 2.

SAC: Briley Burnham.

ROE: Karley Daughrity.

FC: Ashley Milligan.

SB: Addi Bunty, Mealer.

CS: Maggie Daughrity.

Team LOB: 5

WP: Ashley Milligan (7IP, 2H, 0R, 0R, 13K, 2BB).