High school roundup: North Murray fends off Murray rally to grab 5-3 win

Sep. 14—CHATSWORTH — North Murray High School's softball team fended off a late rally from Murray County to earn a 5-3 win at home Tuesday and sweep the regular season series over its cross-county rivals.

North Murray, which defeated Murray 5-2 on the road earlier this season, led 5-0 entering the sixth inning on Tuesday.

Murray (3-9) sent in three runs in the top of the sixth, but the Lady Mountaineers (5-11-1) didn't let the visitors get any closer. North Murray held Murray scoreless in the seventh to win the game.

The first three innings Tuesday were played without a score, but North Murray broke through in the fourth.

Janna Baggett started the inning by being walked, and she motored around to third base on a Kylie Corbin double to left.

Karsen Baldridge stepped in to bat next, singling to short and sending in Baggett.

After McKinlie Callaway walked, Cameron Longley singled to send in both Corbin and Baldridge. Callaway made it home on an Angel Tant groundout to put up North Murray's fourth run of the inning.

The Lady 'Neers added a fifth run in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Baldridge again busted a single to send in Cadence Mulkey.

Baldridge was 2-for-3 for North Murray with her two RBIs. Baggett was 1-for-2 with a double, and Tant and Corbin both tallied two hits.

After stranding a few runners in earlier innings, Murray finally broke through in the sixth.

A Kholee Fouts double to center sent in Callan Ledford, who reached base on a walk, for Murray's first run of the game. Nicole Martin then singled to left field to score Lanie Spence, and Fouts sprinted home on a Charlsey Richards grounder.

Murray managed six hits off of North Murray pitcher Charley Patton, and three came during the three-run rally in the sixth inning. Martin and Spence both tallied two hits for the Lady Indians.

Patton recovered in the seventh, allowing one two-out single but clinching the game by forcing a grounder to second.

Patton struck out two and walked two in seven innings.

Kylie Usrey struck out three and walked two in six innings for Murray, allowing four earned runs.

North Murray travels to play Rockmart Thursday at 5 p.m., while Murray hosts Haralson County at the same time.

Also in high school sports action on Tuesday:

Softball

Calhoun 9, Dalton 1

Calhoun (12-3) downed Dalton (2-9) 9-1 in Dalton on Tuesday.

After the first three innings ended without a score, Calhoun scored five in the fourth and pulled away from there.

Dalton's lone run was a solo home run by Aliza Martinez. Martinez was a bright spot in a Dalton lineup that otherwise struggled to hit. Martinez was 2-for-3 and had two of the three total Dalton hits. Kaylee Tatum had the other.

Dalton plays on the road against Woodland on Thursday at 5:55 p.m.

Central-Carrollton 11, Southeast Whitfield 0

Central-Carrollton (12-2) blanked Southeast Whitfield (2-10-1) 11-0 Tuesday in Dalton in a game that was called after five innings.

Southeast was held to one hit, a Kaylee Padilla single. Central scored at least one run in all five innings.

Southeast hosts Coahulla Creek tonight at 5:30.

Coahulla Creek 5, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 2

Coahulla Creek (10-5) held Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (6-9-1) scoreless after the first inning to grab a 5-2 win at home Tuesday.

LFO scored two in the top of the first, but Coahulla Creek matched with two of its own in the bottom of the inning and added three more in the fourth for the win.

Coahulla Creek pitcher Bailey Warnix kept LFO off the board after the first by allowing six total hits and striking out eight batters in her seven-inning start. Three of those hits came in the first.

Warnix also went 2-for-3 at bat for Coahulla Creek, picking up an RBI. Caroline Reed had two RBIs, and Annie Reed was 2-for-2 with an RBI.

Coahulla Creek, winners of three games in its last four after losing four straight, play on the road against Southeast Whitfield tonight at 5:30.

Heritage 3, Northwest Whitfield 0

After Northwest Whitfield (8-7) and Heritage (10-4) played seven scoreless innings in Tunnel Hill on Tuesday, Heritage scored three runs in the top of the eighth to down the Lady Bruins 3-0.

Northwest was held to four hits. Lindsey Harris was 2-for-3, and Abygail Jarvi and Libby Lee also got a hit.

Jolie Albertson held Heritage scoreless through seven innings from the mound for Northwest. She allowed seven hits and struck out two.

The teams play again, this time in Ringgold, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Volleyball

Dalton sweeps Hiram, Cass in region opener

Dalton (11-7) swept a tri-match over Cass (8-12-1) and Hiram (6-9) on the road Tuesday to start 2-0 in Region 7-5A.

Dalton downed Hiram in two sets, 25-12 and 25-21. Gracie Ridley had seven kills and six digs, while Ava Davey had seven assists and Jexikella Palma had four aces.

The Lady Cats moved past Cass in two, 25-12 and 25-16. Ridley had six kills, Davey had nine assists and three aces, and Karyme Smithey put up five kills.

Dalton plays Ridgeland and Southeast Whitfield in a tri-match at Southeast Thursday.

Creek downs Adairsville, falls to LFO

Coahulla Creek (8-16) split a road tri-match Tuesday, defeating Adairsville (7-9-2) 2-0 and falling to Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (3-8) 2-0.

The Lady Colts downed Adairsville by scores of 25-17 and 25-16. Jelleny Mallozzi had 10 assists, eight kills and two aces, while Kensli Warnix had 12 assists, six aces and two kills. Kalynn Cameron had 12 digs, three kills and two aces. Sierra Simpkins had seven kills and two blocks.

Against LFO, Coahulla Creek dropped 25-23 and 27-25. Brandilyn Farner had 15 digs, three kills and two aces, while Katie Hambright had six digs, three aces and one kill. Makayla Busie tallied two kills and two digs.