Ware County had its threegame winning streak end, but bounced back with a Region 1AAAAA victory to stay on the heels of fourth-ranked Wayne County in the standings before playing in a weekend tournament.
The Lady Gators (6-10 overall, 3-1 region) had their winning streak snapped by visiting Class AAA top-ranked Appling County (14-0) Tuesday, September 8 falling 10-1 in a makeup game from August 20.
Ware County knocked off visiting region foe Evans 8-0 in five innings in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday, September 10. Game 2 was cancelled after half an inning with the Lady Gators leading 1-0 on a solo homer off the bat of Teriayn Kirkland. No makeup date has been announced.
The Lady Gators played three games at the Harris County Invitational in Columbus over the weekend. They fell 2-1 to Columbus High (12-4) in the Friday, September 11 opener.
Rockmart (12-4) handed Ware County a 14-1 “mercy rule” defeat in Saturday’s (September 12) first game. St. Pius X followed with a 6-5 victory in the finale.
Ware County hosted Class 7A Camden County Tuesday, September 15. Region-leader Wayne County visits Thursday, September 17 at 5:30 p.m.
A trip to Savannah is on tap Tuesday, September 22 as Ware County meets region foe Jenkins at 5 p.m. Statesboro visits for a region matchup Thursday, September 24 at 5 p.m.
No. 1 Appling Co. ...........10 Lady Gators .....................1
The Lady Pirates sandwiched a pair of five-run bursts around Ware County’s lone run in claiming the win.
Appling County scored three runs in the first inning and single runs in the second and third frames against Reagan Middleton (6.1 IP, 13 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 1 K, 3 BB) to build a 5-0 lead.
The Lady Gators broke through for their lone run in the bottom of the fourth. Kirkland (1-for-3) opened the inning with a single. She moved to second when Middleton (1-for-3) reached on an error. After both runners moved up on an Addi Pittman groundout, Kirkland scored on Mattie Forsyth’s (1for-3) groundout cutting the deficit to 5-1.
Appling County scored once in the sixth for a 6-1 advantage and put the game away with a four-run seventh.
Lady Gators.....................8 Evans ..............................0
Kirkland’s two-run homer in the first inning provided the only runs she would need in twirling a six-hit shutout over Evans.
Kirkland (2-for-3) followed Kara Coleman’s (1-for-3) leadoff single blasting a 1-2 pitch over the fence in right for a 2-0 lead. Three consecutive singles by Middleton (3-for-3), Pittman (1-for-3) and Forsyth (1-for-3), the last scoring Middleton, followed. Cassidy Lee’s (2for-3) run-scoring groundout capped the uprising.
The Lady Gators plated a run in the third to increase the margin to 5-0. Forsyth reached on a leadoff error and moved to second on Lee’s bloop single to center. Natalie Pittman (1-for-2) reached on a sacrifice bunt loading the bases.
Darah Durrance (1-for-2) lifted a sacrifice fly to left scoring Forsyth for a five-run lead. After Maggie McQuaig reached on a sacrifice bunt to reload the bases, Evans got out of the jam turning a double play.
Ware County chased home three final runs in the bottom of the fourth. Kirkland ripped a lead double and advanced to third on Middleton’s bloop single.
Following the first out, Forsyth reached on a twobase error when her grounder was misplayed allowing Kirkland’s courtesy runner, Genesis Walker, and Middleton, who stole second, to score for a 7-0 lead.
After Lee singled on the ensuing pitch and the second out was recorded, Durrance’s pop fly scored Forsyth with the final run.
Kirkland (5 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 7 K, 1 BB) left two stranded in the Evans’ first, two in the fourth and one in the fifth.
Columbus ................2 Lady Gators..............1
COLUMBUS — The Lady Blue Devils plated the game-winning run on a two-out, bases loaded single in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat Ware County.
Columbus broke a scoreless tie with a twoout run in the bottom of the fourth. The Lady Blue Devils got a one-out double followed by the twoout single off Middleton (5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 K, 0 BB).
The Lady Gators, who stranded a runner in the first and third innings, evened the score in the top of the fifth. Lee (1-for-3) led off with a frame with a first-pitch single. Mc-Quaig (1-for-1) followed with a first-pitch sacrifice bunt reaching on the fielder’s choice play.
Natalie Pittman (1-for-2) hit into a fielder’s choice grounder retiring McQuaig. An error on the throw to first allowed Lee to race home with the tying run. Ware County would load the bases before the inning ended.
Columbus capitalized on a leadoff error to score the winning run in the bottom of the sixth. The miscue was followed by a bloop single and a groundout putting runners at second and third.
After a fielder’s choice play at the plate for the second out, the Lady Blue Devils scored on a single to center.
Rockmart ...............14 Lady Gators..............1
COLUMBUS — Rockmart scored in each of its four trips to the plate, which was highlighted by a seven-run second inning, en route to beating the Lady Gators.
The Lady Yellowjackets followed a first inning run off a sacrifice fly with the uprising in the second to open up an 8-0 advantage.
Rockmart batted around in the second with 11 batters going to the plate. The Lady Yellowjackets scored on consecutive one-out homers, the first a two-run blast and followed by a solo shot for a 4-0 lead. they also scored on a pair of tworun singles in building the eight-run margin.
The Lady Yellowjackets added four runs in the third scoring on a one-out single, a two-run double and a two-out error for a 12-0 lead.
Rockmart’s final two runs came in the fourth after two outs and nobody on base. Consecutive doubles and a single plated the runs.
Ware County averted the shutout scoring with two outs in the bottom of the inning. Forsyth (2-for-2) opened the inning with a single followed by Lee reaching on an error.
Durrance (1-for-2) kept the inning alive with a two-out single loading the bases. Coleman (2-for-2) drew a walk forcing home the runner from third.
St. Pius X .................6 Lady Gators .............5
COLUMBUS — A sacrifice bunt scored the St. Pius X “ghost” runner from third breaking a 5-all tie in the sixth inning to clip the Lady Gators.
Ware County scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to even the score at 5-apiece after the Lady Golden Lions dented the plate three times in the top half of the inning breaking a 2-all tie.
St. Pius X broke the tie scoring on a groundout and consecutive bases loaded walks to open up the 5-2 lead.
The Lady Gators sandwiched walks to McQuaig and Kirkland (1-for-2) around Coleman’s (1-for-4) base hit to load the bases with nobody out. Middleton’s (3-for-4) ensuing fielder’s choice groundout scored Mc-Quaig closing the deficit to 5-3.
After Forsyth (1-for-3) reached on an infield single reloading the bases, Addie Pittman (2-for-3) lined the ensuing pitch for a two-run single tying the score. St. Pius X escaped a third bases loaded situation to force an extra inning.
Down 6-5 after the Lady Golden Lions scored in the top of the sixth, Ware County had its “ghost” runner thrown out at the plate ending the game.
Walker was placed at second to start the Lady Gators’ home half. After Kirkland was issued a two-out intentional walk, Middleton lined a single to left. The throw from left was perfect to nail Walker for the final out.
St. Pius scored two runs in the second on a one-out fielder’s choice and twoout single for a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Gators pulled even in the bottom of the third. Durrance drew a leadoff walk with (courtesy runner) Walker eventually trotting home on Middleton’s two-out homer to center. The roundtripper was the third of the week for Middleton.
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