BEARVILLE — Brantley County rode the left-arm of Edie Lowther to a “Sweet 16” doubleheader sweep Monday of Region 3-AAA rival Pierce County.
Lowther twirled complete game victories in both ends of the October 19 doubleheader here over the seventh-seed Lady Bears (22-9). BCHS (18-9), the 10th-seed, captured the series opener 5-2 and followed with a 9-2 victory in the nightcap.
The Lady Herons make the trek over to Columbus for the four-day state “Elite 8” double-elimination tournament beginning today (Wednesday, October 28) and running through Saturday’s (October 31) championship games.
Brantley County is making its ninth “Elite 8” appearance and first since 2019 when the Lady Herons reached the “Final Four.” BCHS first reached the quarterfinals in 1988 during the slow-pitch era.
The Lady Herons other “Elite 8” appearances were 1993 (Final Four), 1994 (Final Four), 1995 (Final Four), 1997, 2002, 2003, 2019 (Final Four).
Brantley County, winners of five straight, opens with second-seed Worth County (28-4), winners in nine of its last 10 games. The matchup is on Field 8 at 11 a.m.
Game 1
No. 10 Brantley County .........5
No. 7 Lady Bears ...................2
Lydia Anderson and Rilee Story combined for five of Brantley County’s hits and drove in three runs to back the six-hit pitching of Lowther.
Anderson went 3-for-4 with a triple, drove in a run and stole two bases. Story finished 2-for-3 and drove in two runs.
Lowther went the distance needing 89 pitches. She scattered six hits, was charged with two earned runs, fanned five and walked one.
Anderson led off the Brantley County first with a bunt single, stole second and scored from there on Story’s ensuing groundout for a lead the Lady Herons would not relinquish.
Addisyn Grafford was hit one pitch later by a Bailey Barboza (5 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP), advanced to second when Caiden Jones’ (1-for-4) reached on a oneout error. Grafford scored when Madison Walker’s (1-for-4) grounder was misplayed for a 2-0 advantage.
PCHS sliced the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning. Kaylee Figueroa (1-for-3) kept the inning alive with a two-out single. She raced around the bases on Parker Sinclair’s (2-for-3) single to right.
The Lady Herons responded with a run in the top of the second for a 3-1 advantage. Anderson beat out a slap hit to third, stole second and scored when Story’s fly ball was misplayed into a two-base error.
Pierce County cut the deficit to 32 in the bottom of the third. Riley Chambless drew a leadoff walk and moved around to third on Lanie Mai’s (1-for-4) ensuing double. Maelee Childers (1-for-3) followed with a run-scoring infield hit. Mai was thrown out at the play trying to score from second.
Brantley County followed with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings pushing the lead out to its final 5-2 margin.
Anderson scooted around the bases after slicing a fly ball to left for a triple. She continued home on an error.
Jones led off the fifth with a first-pitch homer to left for a three-run advantage.
The Lady Bears threatened in the bottom of the sixth. Figueroa ended a stretch of nine consecutive Lady Bears retired reaching on a one-out error. Sinclair and Cadence Coldren (1-for-3) followed with base hits to load the bases.
Lowther got the next two batters on an infield pop out and a groundout and then set PCHS down in order in the seventh ending the game with consecutive three-pitch strikeouts.
Game 2
No. 10 Brantley Co...9
No. 7 Lady Bears......2
Brantley County’s bats came to life in the nightcap banging out 17 hits with seven batters recording multi-hit games.
Lowther followed up her Game 1 performance with a second straight complete game outing. She worked seven innings, surrendered seven hits, allowed two earned runs, recorded two strikeouts and walked none while needing just 84 pitches.
Sydnee Davis led the hit parade going 4-for-4 with an RBI. Story had three hits in four trips. Anderson, Grafford, Jones (double, three RBIs) Walker (two doubles, three ribbies) and Kynli Flowers (two doubles, RBI) finished with two hits apiece.
The Lady Bears got two hits from Sinclair and two from Leeanna Davis. Pierce County stranded seven runners.
PCHS grabbed its only lead of the series with a run in the top of the first. Mai (1-for-4) lined a firstpitch, leadoff single, stole second and scored on Figueroa’s (1-for-4) double for a quick 1-0 advantage.
The Lady Herons came right back plating two runs in the bottom of the inning, the first of three two-run rallies.
The Lady Herons tacked on two runs in the third inning for a 4-1 advantage. Grafford and Davis lined consecutive one-out singles ahead of Jones getting hit by a Shelby Braddy (1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 WP) offering to load the bases. Braddy came on in relief of Sophia White (2.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 K, 0BB).
Walker’s ensuing fielder’s choice grounder scored Grafford. Flowers followed with a base hit driving home Davis with the relay throw nailing Jones leaving the score at 4-1.
BCHS followed with a second straight two-run rally in the fourth to open up a 6-1 advantage. Anderson singled with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on a Story single.
After Story advanced to second on a wild pitch, Grafford walked and Davis singled loading the bases. Jones’ sacrifice fly to center scored Story for the five-run lead.
The Lady Bears plated their final run of the season in the top of the sixth to get to within 6-2. Davis singled to open the inning, advanced to second on a passed ball, moved over to third on a groundout and scored on Harper Larson’s sacrifice fly to right.
Brantley County put the finishing touches on the victory scoring three times in the bottom of the sixth against Barboza (2.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB, 1 WP) doing the damage with two outs and nobody on base.
Grafford reached on a two-out error. After a Davis single, Jones ripped a two-run double extending the lead to 8-2. Walker followed with a run-scoring double.
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