Ware County wrapped up the next to last week of the regular season splitting four games which included a non-region doubleheader sweep.
The Lady Gators (8-18 overall, 2-4 Region 1-AAAA) opened the busy week falling 10-3 Monday, September 29 at Class A DI 10th-ranked Brantley County (17-8). The victory gave the Lady Herons a sweep of the season series after notching a 9-4 decision at Ware County September 4.
Visiting Wayne County (18-6, 5-0) followed a night later with a 16-2 win over the Lady Gators for the season sweep. The Lady Yellow Jackets, winners of eight straight, beat Ware County 9-1 at home September 16.
Ware County finished action Thursday, October 2 knocking off homestanding Charlton County (12-13) twice. The Lady Gators claimed a 16-12 slugfest in Game 1 and posted a 9-6 victory in the nightcap.
Ware County traveled Tuesday, October 7 to Reidsville to face Tattnall County. The Lady Gators finish the regular season today (Wednesday, October 8) hosting Coffee.
No. 10 Lady Herons ......................................10 Lady Gators....................................................3
CANEY BAY — Brantley County’s Chelsea Turner and Reagan Mclain combined on a one-hitter pitching the Lady Herons past Ware County.
Turner twirled four innings of perfect ball fanning eight of the 12 batters she faced. Mclain (3 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 4 BB) surrendered one-out hit in the sixth inning spoiling the no-hit bid.
BCHS struck for two runs in the first inning against Kayleigh LeMay (5.2 IP, 8 H, 10 R, 3 ER, 1 K, 3 BB). Rilee Story (1-for-3) lined a one-out double and stole third ahead of a walk to Sydnee Davis (1-for-3).
Following a Davis theft of second, a two-base error on a ball hit by Turner (1-for-4) allowed both runners to score for a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Herons doubled the margin to 4-0 with two runs in the third. Lydia Anderson (1-for-3) led off with an infield hit and moved over to second on Story’s groundout.
Davis followed with a run-scoring double. She scored two batters later on a Chloe Johns (2-for-4) two-out double.
Ware County tightened the game with a three-run sixth to get to within 4-3. Cassidy Lee drew a leadoff walk from Mclain (1-for-4). Ella Musgrove’s (1-for-3) ensuing infield hit, the Lady Gators’ first of the game, was followed by a walk to Ashlyn Jacobs loading the bases.
Lee scored on a one-out passed ball as all three runners advanced a base. Kallie Lairsey’s groundout plated Musgrove cutting the deficit to 4-2. Pinch-runner Lauren Bell, inserted in place of Jacobs, scored the final run on a passed ball.
Brantley County broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth scoring six times in building a 10-3 advantage with three Lady Gator errors proving costly.
Johns got the inning started reaching on the first miscue. After stealing second, Johns scored the first BCHS run on a one-out double off the bat of Mclain. Courtesy runner K. Flowers raced to third on a single by Sydney Page.
A stolen base by Page was followed by a passed ball plating Flowers with Page advancing to third upping the margin to 6-3. After a walk to Madison Walker put runners on the corners, Anderson’s sacrifice fly scored Page for a 7-3 lead.
Consecutive field errors on balls hit by Story and Davis scored a run each for a 9-3 advantage. A run-scoring single by Turner capped the uprising.
Wayne County...........................16 Lady Gators ................................2
Visiting Wayne County opened and closed the five-inning “mercy ruled” game with a pair of six-run rallies to beat the Lady Gators.
The Lady Yellow Jackets’ first six batters reached against LeMay (0 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 K, 2 BB, 1 WP) and scored in the opening frame for a 6-0 lead. Wayne County had a two-run single, run-scoring double, two-run triple and a sacrifice fly.
Ware County got one run back in the bottom of the first on Lairsey’s (1-for-3) run-scoring single. A two-out error on a ball hit by Teriayn Kirkland extended the inning. Amberley Padgett (2-for-3) followed two pitches later with a double.
Wayne County scored four times in the second inning against Mattie Forsyth (4.2 IP, 10 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP) extending the margin to 10-1.
The Lady Yellow Jackets scored on a one-out bases loaded hit batter, a tworun single and a two-out run-scoring hit.
Ware County would push home a run in the bottom of the inning with four consecutive batters reaching after two outs.
Lee kept the inning alive with a walk, Musgrove (1-for-2) was hit by a pitch and Jacobs (1-for-3) followed with a hit. Kirkland, after fouling off the first four offerings, was hit by a pitch forcing home Lee pulling the Lady Gators to within 10-2.
Wayne County put the game away in the fifth inning with six runs. The Lady Yellow Jackets loaded the bases with three consecutive singles following the first out.
They scored on a sacrifice fly, a tworun triple, two run-scoring singles and a wild pitch.
Game 1 Lady Gators...............................16 Charlton County........................12
FOLKSTON — Ware County overcame a 2-1 deficit through three innings scoring 15 times over the final four frames to beat the Indian Maidens.
Seven of the nine Lady Gators in the lineup had multi-hit games with all nine getting a hit. The barrage was led by Jacobs (3-for-6, two doubles, stolen base, four RBIs) and Addi Pittman (3-for-4) with three safeties each.
Musgrove (2-for-2, RBI, two stolen bases), Kirkland (2-for-3, double, RBI, stolen base), Forysth (2-for-5, two ribbies), Kara Coleman (2-for-4) and Lee (2for-5, RBI, stolen base) added two apiece.
Ware County scored once in the first when Kirkland raced home from third on a wild pitch.
The Indian Maidens scored the next two runs, one in the first and one in the third, for a 2-1 lead against LeMay (7 IP, 14 H, 12 R, 5 ER, 6 K, 1 BB, 2 WP).
The Lady Gators plated five runs in the fourth inning to grab a 6-2 advantage. The first eight batters reached in the uprising.
Jacobs’ one-out, bases loaded double scored two giving Ware County a 3-2 lead. Musgrove, who drew a walk prior to the Jacobs hit, raced home on a wild pitch. Lairsey (1-for-3) blooped a runscoring single with Forsyth’s groundout plating the final run for the four-run advantage.
Charlton County responded with four runs tying the score at 6-apiece in the bottom of the fourth. The Indian Maidens scored on an error, a two-out, tworun single and a run-scoring single.
The Lady Gators took the lead for good in the top of the fifth with a second straight five-run rally doing all the damage with two outs and nobody on base. Six consecutive batters reached with five crossing the plate.
Jacobs’ double followed a single and stolen base by Musgrove giving Ware County a lead it would not relinquish at 7-6. Consecutive walks loaded the bases with pinch-runner Lauren Bell racing home on a wild pitch, one of eight by Charlton County. Courtesy runner Maggie McQuaig scored the next run on a wild pitch extending the lead to 9-6. A wild pitch scored Padgett ahead of a Forsyth RBI bloop single for the final run and an 11-6 lead.
The Indian Maidens sliced the lead to 11-8 with two runs in the bottom of the fifth on an error and wild pitch.
Each team scored once in the sixth as the score climed to 12-9. Kirkland ripped a two-out, run-scoring double for Ware County with the Indian Maidens scoring on a base hit.
The Lady Gators plated four runs in the top of the seventh for a 16-9 advantage. The inning was set up by a one-out error.
Lee delivered a one-out, bases loaded single, Musgrove followed with a sacrifice fly and Jacobs drove home two with single to left.
Charlton County didn’t go down quitely in the bottom of the inning scoring three times with two outs. Consecutive run-scoring base hits and an error closed the deficit to 16-12 before the final out was recorded with two runners on base.
Game 2 Lady Gators ................................9 Charlton County .........................6
FOLKSTON — Pittman’s one-out, RBI single in the third inning gave the Lady Gators a 7-6 lead en route to a three-run decision over Charlton County.
Ware County scored three times in its first at bat on consecutive errors on balls hit by Lairsey (1-for-4) and Forsyth (1for-4).
Charlton County evened the score in the bottom of the inning with Lee (0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP) toeing the rubber. The Indian Maidens scored on a sacrifice fly and two-out, two-run single.
The Lady Gators plated a run taking advantage of an error to grab a 4-3 lead. Musgrove (3-for-4) singled and raced around the bases on a base hit by Jacobs (1-for-4) scoring on a throwing error.
The Indian Maidens responded with a three-run second against Forsyth (1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 K, 1 BB) to claim a shortlived 6-4 lead. Charlton County scored on a two-out, three-run bases clearing triple.
Ware County regained the lead in the third plating three runs. Coleman (1-for-3) delivered a one-out, two-run single tying the score at 6-apiece with Pittman’s (2-for-3) ensuing single giving the Lady Gators the lead for good.
The scored remained 7-6 until a tworun seventh extended Ware County’s lead to 9-6. Kirkland laced a one-out double with Padgett hitting the next offering for a two-run home.
Kirkland (5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 10 K, 1 BB) set Charlton County down in order in the seventh.
