BCHS faces PCHS with ‘Elite 8’ berth on the line
CANEY BAY — Edie Lowther and Mary Hall took turns throwing threeinning no-hitters pitching 10th-seed Brantley County past overmatched 23rdseed South Atlanta here Tuesday in the first round of the Class 3A state tournament.
Lowther (3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 9 K, 0 BB) silenced the Lady Hornets (17-10) in a 15-0 Game 1 perfect game victory October 13 allowing one foul ball on 29 pitches — 28 for strikes.
South Atlanta came in sporting a .513 team batting average with seven of the nine starters in the lineup hitting over .500, including .750 by its leadoff batter.
Hall (3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 8 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP) allowed one batted ball and hit a batter in a 16-0 win in the nightcap. She threw 32 pitches — 28 for strikes.
Each pitcher recorded an immaculate inning — nine pitches, nine strikes — the second frame in both games.
South Atlanta’s performance came on the heels of a second round loss last year as a fourthseed hosting 13th seed Pierce County losing 16-0 and 18-0 while collecting just one hit for the day.
The Lady Herons (16-9) advanced to face seventhseed PCHS (22-7) with a berth to the “Elite 8” at stake. The best-of-three series was played Monday, October 19 (doubleheader) with the “if” game set for Tuesday, October 20.
Brantley County’s appearance in the second round is their seventh since 2013. The Lady Herons have been ousted five times in the same time frame.
PCHS eliminated 26thseed Franklin County winning 2-1 and 13-3. BCHS and the Lady Bears were two of four teams advancing from Region 3.
Region champion and unbeaten Appling County, the top-seed, blanked 32nd-seed Thomson 12-0 and 8-0. The Lady Pirates face 17th-seed Hart County, which beat 16thseed Washington County 12-0 and 9-3.
Fifth-seed Toombs County knocked out 28thseed Ringgold winning 1-0 and 12-2. The Lady Bulldogs face 12th-seed Stephens County, which eased past 21st-seed Burke County by the scores of 14-0 and 3-1.
Tattnall County, seeded 27th, was the lone Region 3 member to be eliminated falling to sixth-seed Pike County 15-0 and 190. The Lady Pirates will host 11th-seed Lumpkin County, a 7-6 and 10-5 winner over 22nd-seed Murray County.
Game 1 No. 10 Lady Herons 15 No. 23 S. Atlanta 0 Brantley County backed Lowther’s performance with a 14-run first inning setting the tone for the day.
The Lady Herons only had six hits with Rilee Story (two stolen bases) leading the way going 2for-2. Lydia Anderson (1--for-1, two RBI, three stolen bases), Addisyn Grafford (1-for-2, stolen base), Madison Walker (1-for-2, three ribbies, stolen base) and Kynli Flowers (1-for-1, two RBI) collected the other four hits.
BCHS was issued nine walks, had two batters hit and took advantage of eight South Atlanta errors in its two innings in the field.
Brantley County sent 17 batters to the plate in the first inning with the first 14 reaching on seven walks, five hits and three hit batters. The inning ended with a double play grounder.
BCHS added a final run in the second inning when Anderson scored on an error. The inning mercifully ended with two Lady Herons stepping off the bags for the final two outs.
Game 2 No. 10 Lady Herons 16 No. 23 S. Atlanta 0 The Lady Herons scored all the runs Hall would need with a fiverun first inning ahead of an 11-run second.
Brantley County collected just six hits with Story (2-for-2, double, RBI, two stolen bases - 13 for the team) and Walker (2-for-2, RBI) posting multi-hit outings. Anderson (1-for-1, stolen base) and Flowers (1-for-1, double, RBI) had the other two hits.
BCHS’s lineup was only credited with three RBI. The Lady Herons were issued 15 walks with two others getting hit by a pitch. The Lady Hornets were charged with nine errors.
The first six batters for Brantley County reached in the first inning with five scoring before a double play halted the rally.
BCHS sent 15 batters to the plate in the second inning with the first 13 reaching and 11 scoring. The inning mercifully ended with three Lady Herons stepping off the bags for outs.
South Atlanta put its only ball in play with one out in the bottom of the third inning with a weak grounder to first baseman Sydnee Davis.
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