Lady Panthers eliminated from state softball tournament

Oct. 16—CHULA — Tiftarea Academy's softball season came to an end Saturday, Oct. 15, with George Walton Academy winning two games in the best-of-three series.

The Lady Bulldogs, hailing from Monroe, won by scores of 9-0 and 7-3.

Kendall Woodbury won both games for GMA, which advances to Columbus for the next rounds of the tournament. She did not strike out a batter in on the day, but a spotless defense kept Woodbury comfortable throughout.

The Lady Panthers posted the first two runs in the second contest, but were unable to maintain the lead against a red hot top of the order for George Walton.

Ali Strenth, mere hours removed from being named homecoming queen, started the top of the 2nd with a single to center. Haylee Grace Cole swung through two bunt attempts, but both pitches bounced away and Strenth moved up two bases.

Cole put the ball in play, a grounder to shortstop. Strenth made a move home, drawing a throw to Ellie Woodson, who attempted to catch it and made a tag on the sliding Strenth in one move.

The ball popped away as the two collided. Strenth scored, Cole wound up on second and Woodson yelped in pain. She stayed down while coaches from both sides checked on her, but Woodson gutted through it, put her shinguards back on and continued.

With one out, Mackenzie Matthews drove in Cole with a hit under the first baseman's glove and the Lady Panthers were ahead 2-0.

GWA came back with four tallies in the bottom of the 3rd via a handful of well-placed, two-out hits.

Gisele Sorrow singled to lead off, but was only at second when Pyper McCard recorded a strikeout for the second out.

Trouble began when Demere Gray's soft infield pop landed a centimeter ahead of a diving Isabel Fernandez. Leila Mathis singled for the Lady 'Dogs' initial run.

Woodson, fully healed in a hurry, hit a liner that ticked off the glove of a jumping Strenth to tie the game.

That brought up Khyler Hannay, who slapped a two-run single. GWA went ahead 4-2 and they gradually added more as the game continued.

One inning later was GWA's first bit of insurance, Wilson doubling in Sorrow. In the 5th, Ashley Hill drove in Mathis. The 6th saw Mathis make it a 7-2 game when her hit scored Wilson.

Tiftarea launched a comeback effort in the 7th.

Elaine Mercer walked to start the frame and Fernandez followed with a single.

McCard had a single, but the Lady Panthers found themselves in a pickle on the bases. Mercer scored, but they had to give up an out to get her home.

Strenth had a last base hit before a fly to center clinched the series.

Matthews finished with three hits. Bryan and Strenth notched two each. McCard struck out four.

GWA 9, TIFTAREA 0

Elaine Mercer recorded Tiftarea's only hit in the opener, a sharp single to center in the bottom of the 5th. The initial game was only five innings long because of the mercy rule.

McCard and Hannah Grace Murphy split pitching duties, which had not been planned, but had to be done after McCard was hit on the right wrist by a batted ball. in the 3rd. Fortunately, after an application of ice, McCard was able to stay in as a hitter and pitched all of the second game.

The Lady Bulldogs scored twice in the first inning.

Wilson started with a walk and moved up on an infield single by Gray. The former came home on a throwing error during a stolen base attempt. Woodson drove in the latter with a single.

George Walton had the bases loaded with one out, but two straight strikeouts by McCard kept it at two runs.

Tiftarea seemed to have a rally of its own started when the first eight pitches they saw were out of the zone.

The luck ended with what initially appeared to be a base hit by Bryan. The umpires ruled that there was runner interference with the play, which took a run by Fernandez off the board.

With one out, Woodbury settled in and got two infield outs to end the threat.

The score remained the same through the third, even after McCard had to exit. Murphy worked through a potential crisis by coaxing a foul fly to Cole at first base, a ground out and a strikeout.

George Walton would not be halted often after that. The expanded the lead to 7-0 in the 4th.

Sydney Colson, Wilson, Gray, Mathis and Hannay all crossed the plate, starting with Colson on a bases loaded walk to Mathis. Woodson's sac fly drove in Wilson.

Three more runs crossed on a hit by Emma Deaton.

Two runs in the 5th gave GWA enough runs to end it early. Both scored on a single by Woodson.

Mercer was the only Tiftarea player with a hit in the game, but they did earn four walks, two by Fernandez.

The Lady Panthers end the year with a 16-7 record.