Ware County fell three times with two coming over the weekend in tournament play.
Visiting Class A DI 10th-ranked Brantley County (6-5) rallied to hand the Lady Gators (4-11) a 9-4 loss Thursday, September 4. It marked the fifth consecutive setback for the home team.
Ware County fell 4-3 in six innings to tournament host Northside Columbus Friday, September 5. The Lady Gators split Saturday’s action blank Shaw of Columbus 13-0 in four innings to end a sixgame slide before falling 2-1 to Decatur in the finale.
The Lady Gators traveled Tuesday, September 9 to Perry (2-7) in the Region 1-AAAA opener for both schools in the only scheduled action for the week. The Lady Panthers entered on a four-game slide. Ware County returns to action Monday, September 15 hosting current Class AA second-ranked Appling County at 5 p.m. The Lady Gators travel Tuesday, September 16 to Jesup to face Wayne County in a region matchup.
Current Class AA top-ranked Cook comes to town Thursday, September 18 for a 5 p.m., start in the Cancer Awareness game.
No. 10 Lady Herons...9 Lady Gators...............4
Brantley County scored eight times over the final three innings rallying from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Lady Gators.
Ware County plated two, two-out runs in its first trip to the plate against the Lady Herons’ Chelsea Turner (7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 9 K, 0 BB, 2 WP) collecting three of its six hits.
Ella Musgrove (2-for-4) lined a leadoff single. She beat the throw to second on Ashlyn Jacobs’ fielder’s choice grounder and advanced to third on Kallie Lairsey’s ensuing fielder’s choice.
Mattie Forsyth (1-for-3) delivered a first-pitch, run-scoring single for a 10 lead. Kara Coleman (2for-3) followed with a base hit to right driving home Maggie McQuaig, who was courtesy running for Lairsey.
BCHS scored a run in the top of the second off Kayleigh LeMay (6.2 IP, 12 H, 9 R, 3 ER, 2 K, 0 BB, 5 WP) to close the deficit to 2-1. Caiden Jones reached on a one-out error, stole second, and scored when Madison Walker’s two-out grounder was misplayed.
The Lady Gators got the run back in the bottom of the inning in reclaiming a two-run lead. Addie Pittman (1-for-3) blooped a single and raced to third on a two-base error. She scored on passed ball for a 3-1 lead.
Brantley County tied the score in the top of the fifth at 3-apiece. Kynslea Garrison (1-for-3) led off the inning with a firstpitch single and scored one pitch later on a triple by Rilee Story (2-for-5).
Following a double play liner, Sydnee Davis (3-for-3) doubled on a first-pitch offering. She raced home with the tying run on Turner’s (2-for-4) ensuing single.
Ware County pushed home a run in the bottom of the inning in claiming its last lead at 4-3. Musgrove legged out a leadoff infield hit and raced to third when Ashlyn Jacobs’ sacrifice bunt was thrown away.
After McQuaig, inserted as Jacobs’ pinchrunner, stole second, Padgett lifted a fly to center with Musgrove scoring on the errant throw home.
The Lady Herons dented the plate twice in the top of the sixth to grab the lead for good at 5-4. Jones reached on a leadoff error, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored the tying run on Reagan Mclain’s sacrifice fly to right.
Walker followed by reaching on an error and was removed for courtesy runner Chole Johns. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and on to third on Garrison’s sacrifice bunt. Story’s ensuing base hit gave the Lady Herons a 5-4 lead.
Brantley County put the game away with a fourrun seventh opening the inning with three consecutive singles.
Davis, Turner and Jayden Lewis (2-for-4) all singled in a five-pitch sequence with the Lewis infield hit scoring Davis. A one-out wild pitch moved both Turner and Lewis into scoring position.
Consecutive infield errors on balls hit by Walker and Garrison scored Turner and Lewis before the final out was recorded.
Turner retired Ware County in order in the home half of the seventh.
NS-Columbus ..........4 Lady Gators.............3
COLUMBUS — Tournament host Northside-Columbus scored three first inning runs and held on to beat the Lady Gators.
The Lady Patriots capitalized on three errors, two coming with two outs, in taking a 3-0 lead against LeMay (5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB).
Ware County came right back with a two-run second to get to with 3-2. Forsyth (1-for-2) opening the inning reaching on an error with Coleman following with a walk.
A sacrifice bunt by LeMay moved the runners up. Cassidy Lee (1-for-3) delivered a two-out, tworun single after falling behind 0-2 in the count.
Northside extended the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth with a runscoring two-out single.
The Lady Gators loaded the bases in the top of the fifth with Musgrove getting hit by a pitch, Ashlyn Jacobs reaching on an error and Padgett (1-for-2) drawing a four-pitch walk.
The Lady Patriots turned a 1-2-3 double play with Jacobs’ courtesy runner, Maggie McQuaig, advancing to third and Padgett to second. A wild pitch scored McQuaig slicing the lead to 4-3 before the third out was recorded.
Ware County stranded the tying run in the sixth inning.
Lady Gators ...........13 Shaw.......................0
COLUMBUS — Ware County banged out four extra base hits to back the one-hit, four-inning shutout of Forsyth.
The lone hit surrendered by Forsyth (4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 K, 0 BB) was a leadoff single to start the third.
The Lady Gators put together two five-run uprisings and a three-run rally in their three trips to the plate.
Ware County sent 10 batters to the plate in the first scoring on Padgett’s (3-for-3) RBI single, an error on a ball hit by Forsyth (1-for-3), LeMay’s (1-for-2) groundout and two runs on a base hit by Lee (2-for-3) to open up a 5-0 advantage.
The Lady Gators chased home three runs on three doubles in the second to extend the lead to 8-0. Forsyth and Lairsey (1for-1) laced back-to-back, one-out run-scoring doubles. LeMay stroked a two-out, run-scoring double.
Ware County iced the game in the third sending 10 batters to the plate in scoring the final five runs. Jacobs (2-for-3) and Padgett delivered RBI singles for a 10-0 lead.
Forsyth’s groundout plated a run with Londyn Young (1-for-1) and Mc-Quaig (1-for-1) driving home the final two runs with pinch-hit singles.
Decatur ...................2 Lady Gators .............1
COLUMBUS — The Lady Bulldogs broke a 1all tie in the top of the seventh scoring the eventual game-winning run on a wild pitch in slipping past Ware County.
Decatur put its first two batters on with a single, stolen base and sacrifice bunt to set up a first and third situation in a 1-all game. A first pitch wild pitch plated the go-ahead run.
The Lady Gators’ Addie Pittman (1-for-3) singled with one out in the bottom of the inning and was left stranded.
Ware County scored it only run in the first inning. Musgrove (2-for-4) led off with a double to right, moved to third on Padgett’s groundout, and scored when Forsyth’s ensuing ground was misplayed.
After the Lady Gators left Lairsey (2-for-3) and LeMay (1-for-3) stranded following base hits in the fourth, Decatur evened the score with a run in the fifth.
A single and double against LeMay (7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 K, 0 BB, 1 WP) set up the score. An ensuing sacrifice bunt plated the lead runner tying the game at 1apiece.
