Ware County’s Lady Gators softball team saw its offense erupt for 44 runs during a three-day, three-game sweep that began with a Senior Night victory over Region 1-AAAAA foe Jenkins of Savannah.
WCHS (5-7 overall, 2-1 region) ended a sixgame losing streak Tuesday, September 1 by defeating the visiting Lady Warriors 15-0 in three innings. Teriayn Kirkland tossed a nohitter.
The Lady Gators rolled to a 14-2 victory Wednesday, September 2 against Atkinson County in Pearson to complete the season sweep. Ware County notched a 9-3 decision August 10 at home.
Ware County finished the week rolling to a 15-5 victory Thursday, September 3 in Statesboro over the region foe Lady Blue Devils in five innings.
The Lady Gators are off until Thursday, September 10 when Evans visits for a region twinbill with Game 1 scheduled for 4 p.m. Ware County heads to Columbus Friday-Saturday, September 11-12, for three games in the Harris County Invitational. No opponents have been released.
Lady Gators .....................................15 Jenkins .............................................0
Ware County’s nine-run first inning was more than enough run support for Kirkland, who faced one batter over the minimum in three innings.
Kirkland threw strikes on 24 of her 38 pitches finishing with five strikeouts, a walk and two hit batters.
The Lady Gators teed off for 14 hits with Reagan Middleton leading the way going 3for-3 (double, stolen base). She was one of five players driving home two runs.
Ella Musgrove (double, RBI, stolen base), Dara Durrance (double, two RBI) and Kirkland (two ribbies) each went 2-for-2. Kara Coleman (double, two runs batted in), Addie Pittman (stolen base), Genesis Walker, Mattie Forsyth (stolen base) and Cassidy Lee (double, two RBI, stolen base) had a hit apiece.
Ware County sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning with five recording base hits, four reaching via walks and another on an error.
Kirkland had a run-scoring single, Coleman a two-run double, Lee added a sacrifice fly, and Middleton a RBI single. Four runs raced home courtesy of Jenkins errors ion the way to a 9-0 lead.
The Lady Gators chased home four runs in the second pushing the margin out to 13-0. Lee, Durrance and Musgrove recorded RBI doubles with Kirkland driving home a run on a single.
Ware County ended the game in the bottom of the third on the “15-run mercy rule,” scoring twice. Durrance lined a bases- loaded single with Skye Reid’s one-out, bases- loaded walk plating the final run.
Lady Gators .....................................14 Atco...................................................2
PEARSON — The Lady Gators broke away from a 2-2 tie through three innings, scoring the final 12 runs against error-prone Atkinson County.
The Lady Gators banged out 14 hits for the second straight game. Meanwhile, the Lady Rebels committed eight errors leading to 11 unearned runs.
Middleton (6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 8 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP) and Lauren Belle (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB) pitched for the Lady Gators.
Ware County had four players record two hits apiece. Musgrove and Coleman (two RBI) each went 2-for-5 while Addi Pittman (double) and Forsyth posted 2-for-4 outings.
Recording a hit apiece were Kirkland (RBI), Walker (ribbie, triple), Middleton, Belle (RBI, triple), Natalie Pittman (two stolen bases) and Durrance. McQuaig drove in two runs and Lee knocked in a run.
The Lady Gators got a two-out, run-scoring single by Coleman for their first-inning run. Atco evened the score a 1-1 on a two-out single in the bottom of the inning.
Ware County added a run in the third after loading the bases on two errors and a single by Middleton. Coleman followed with a first-pitch single for a 2-1 lead.
The Lady Rebels took advantage of a leadoff error in the home half of the inning, scoring on a one-out double to knot the score at 2-2.
WCHS started pulling away with a three-run fourth to open up a 5-2 advantage. McQuaig’s one-out, infield foul popup scored Lee from third to give the Lady Gators the lead for good.
Musgrove’s following grounder was booted to score Natalie Pittman. Kirkland followed two pitches later with a run-scoring single for the three-run lead.
Ware County came back with a four-run fifth extending the lead to 9-2. Addi Pittman plated the first run with a double after an error started the inning.
Lee’s one-out grounder drove home Addi Pittman for a 7-2 lead. After a second error by Atco, Durrance and Musgrove delivered consecutive run-scoring hits before the final out was recorded.
The Lady Gators batted around in the seventh inning to score their final five runs. A one-out, basesloaded wild pitch scored Addi Pittman, McQuaig’s ensuing groundout scored Forsyth, and an error allowed Lee to cross the plate upping the margin to 12-2.
Walker and Belle followed with consecutive pinch-hit triples scoring the final two runs.
Lady Gators ........................15 Statesboro............................5
STATESBORO — Ware County opened the game with a five-run first inning, and put the game away with a seven-run fourth.
The Lady Gators jumped ahead 30 on Addie Pittman’s (2-for-4, two doubles, four RBI) one-out, basesclearing double following a leadoff single by Musgrove (1-for-4, RBI) and walks to Kirkland (1-for-1) and Coleman (2-for-2, RBI). Forsyth (1for-4, RBI, stolen base) followed with a run-scoring single for a 4-0 advantage.
An error on a ball hit by Lee (2for-4, two RBI) was followed by Walker reaching on a fielder’s choice loading the bases. Durrance’s sacrifice fly plated Forsyth for the fifth run.
Statesboro answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning charged to Kirkland (0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 K, 1 BB), who was relieved after four batters by Middleton (5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 1 BB).
WCHS got the three runs back in the top of the second to open an 8-3 lead. Pittman’s second two-run double in as many at-bats was the big blow, scoring Lauren Bell (courtesy running for Middleton) and Coleman (single). Lee followed the second out of the frame with a run-scoring single for the five-run advantage.
The Lady Blue Devils chipped one run off the deficit scoring on a twoout error to get to within 8-4.
The Lady Gators extended their advantage to 15-4 with a seven-run fourth by sending 11 batters to the plate. Ware County had just three hits with two Statesboro errors aiding the rally.
Lee’s one-out, infield hit with runners at the corners scored the first run. After the second Lady Blue Devils error loaded the bases, Durrance was hit by a pitch forcing home a run for a 10-4 lead.
A run-scoring ground out by Musgrove plated the next run. After a catcher’s interference with Kirkland batting to re-load the bases, Middleton laced a bases-clearing double for a 14-4 cushion. Coleman lined the next pitch for single driving home the final run.
The Lady Blue Devils scored a run in the bottom of the inning off an error for the final margin.
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