BEARVILLE — Pierce County made quick work of visiting 20th-seed Therrell Wednesday with a sweep of the first round best-of-three series.
The third-ranked Lady Bears (21-8), a 13th seed after finishing third in the Region 3 standings, continued their late season surge winning for the 11th time in 12 games posting 15-0 and 18-3 victories with each game ending in three innings via the “mercy rule”.
The Lady Panthers (10-7), the top public school in Region 5 finishing behind private school’s Holy Innocents and Lovett, came in averaging 20.4 runs per game despite scoring just one run in matchups with the top two schools. Therrell scored 19+ runs seven times with a season-high 28 in a wild 28-26 victory over Arabia Mountain.
PCHS advances to face Region 6 champion South Atlanta (16-1-1), the fourth-seed in the field, today (Wednesday, October 22) in a doubleheader. An “if’ game is scheduled for Thursday, October 23. The winner advances to the “Elite 8” in Columbus beginning Wednesday, October 29 with championship games scheduled for Saturday, November 1.
Taylor Tomlinson delivers a first-inning pitch during Wednesday’s Game 2 victory over Therrell in first round action. Photo By RICK HEAD
South Atlanta ousted 29th-seed Salem winning 18-5 and 33-16 scoring 21 runs over the fifth and sixth innings in Game 2.
The unranked Lady Hornets are riding an eight-game unbeaten streak. They enter the second round with astonishing stats that include a .513 team batting average (players batting over .400; three batting better than .600).
Sophomore Kitara Robinson leads the team with a .674 averge with a team-high tying five homers and 32 runs batted in. Senior Rihanna Baker is batting .347 with three homers and a teamhigh tying 37 runs. Senior Laniya Collins is batting .635 with five homers, 37 RBIs and a team-high 54 stolen bases (391 team total).
The Lady Panthers average 20.4 runs. They have scored at least 11 runs 16 times with 11 games of 20+ runs. Sophomore Keiziya Fletcher is the ace of the staff sporting a 13-1 record with a 0.32 ERA over 60.2 innings pitched. She’s recorded 53 strikeouts, walked 79 and hit 27 batters.
Top-seed Appling County, ninth-seed Cook and 21st-seed Crisp County also advanced from Region 3 into the second round. Tattnall County, the 30th seed, was the only representative ousted.
The Lady Pirates blanked 32nd-seed Glenn Hills 16-0 and 16-0. Appling County will host 17th-seed Jackson, which ousted 16th-seed Stephens County after winning the “if” game.
The Lady Hornets knocked off 24th-seed Coahulla Creek winning 81 and 6-0. Cook travels to eighth-seed Rockmart which swept 25th-seed KIPP Atlanta.
The Lady Cougars upset 12th-seed Burke County winning 18-1 and 16-1. Crisp County travels to fifth-seed Shaw after a sweep of 28th-seed Sumter County.
The Lady Warriors were beaten by third-seed Morgan County falling 12-0 and 14-2.
Region 3 could comprise half of the “Elite 8” bracket if all four schools win second round matchups. Appling County and Cook would face off with Crisp County and Pierce County meeting in Columbus October 29.
Game 1 No. 13 Lady Bears...15 No. 20 Therrell........0
Carley Sloan tossed a three-inning no-hitter as PCHS rolled past Therrell in the series opener.
The Lady Bears scored twice in the first, once in the second and ended the game scoring 12 times in the third and nobody out with the first 13 batters reaching.
Harper Larson (2-for-3, double) set up the first with a one-out, first-pitch single, stole second and scored on Taylor Tomlinson’s (2-for-3) single two pitches later. Tomlinson, who advanced to second on the play, stole third and scored on a two-out passed ball.
Pierce County plated a second inning run. Malee Childers (1-for-1) drew a two-out walk and scored from first on Olivia Bennett’s (1-for-2) first-pitch single and a fielding error in right field upping the lead to 3-0.
PCHS collected six hits in the third, drew two walks, had two batters hit and took advantage of three errors.
Tomlinson scored on a bases loaded passed ball to start the scoring. Lanie Mai was hit one pitch later forcing home a run for a 50 lead.
A second passed ball and an error on Eva Horne’s fly ball scored three runs for an 8-0 advantage. Childers followed with a run-scoring single.
Childers eventually scored on a passed ball ahead of Larson’s RBI double. Tomlinson followed with an RBI single for a 12-0 lead. Kaylee Figueroa’s (2-for-2) followed an error with a tworun double. Sloan (1-for-2) ended the game with a run-scoring single.
Game 2 No. 13 Lady Bears ..18 No. 20 Therrell........3
PCHS continued its scoring spree in the nightcap starting with a sevenrun first to beat the Lady Panthers.
The Lady Bears collected just six hits. Therrell’s pitchers issued 11 walks, hit three batters and uncorked a wild pitch.
Bennett (1-for-2) started Game 2’s scoring racing home from third on a passed ball. Sophia White, courtesy running for Tomlinson (2-for-4) scored the second run on a wild pitch.
Horne’s bases loaded walk forced home the next run. Childer’s (1-for-2) reached on an error scoring two runs for a 5-0 lead. Two passed balls allowed the final two runs to cross the plate for a 7-0.
Therrell scored in the bottom of the inning on a two-out solo homer by Madison Hamilton (2-for-2). She would add a tworun homer in the third, her fifth roundtripper of the season.
Pierce County extended its margin to 10-1 in the second scoring three times. Caren Drew (1-for-1) followed a walk to Leeanna Davis and a passed ball with a runscoring single.
Drew, who moved to second on an error and third on a passed ball, scored on Sloan’s groundout. White walked and stole second, third and home for the final run of the inning.
PCHS’s first two runs in the third scored on passed balls. Zoe O’Berry’s (1-for-2) two-out triple drove home two runs for a 14-1 lead. O’Berry stole home for the next run. Bennett (1-for-2) followed with a run-scoring single and a 16-1 advantage.
Bennett eventually raced home on a passed ball with Shelby Brady scoring on a dropped third strike.
