Softball Team Maintains Perfect Region Record
By EDDY GIFFORD
Sports Writer
Photo by Eddy Gifford – Lady Wolverine Kayleigh Warnock came up big on the mound last week as she picked up two region wins. She pitched 15 innings, throwing 228 pitches and striking out 20 in the two games. In the win over Pepperell Warnock went all nine innings giving up just four runs in the first three innings then shutting out the Lady Dragons over the next six innings. In the two games, over 68 percent of her pitches were strikes.
The Lady Wolverine softball team hosted the Pepperell Lady Dragons in a classic on Tuesday, Sept. 12, when the two teams faced off in a key region game.
The Lady Dragons built a 4-0 lead through their first three at bats while Dade was able to score their first run in the bottom of the third and start their comeback.
The fourth and fifth innings were scoreless.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Lady Wolverines inched a little closer when they pushed a run across to cut the lead to 4-2.
The game would remain that way until the bottom of the seventh when Dade tied the game on a hit by Lexi Lawson who came through with a big hit to drive in two runs to tie the game 4-4.
In extra innings, both teams went scoreless in the eighth inning.
The Lady Wolverines pushed the winning run across in the bottom of the ninth inning to claim a very hard-fought region win while keeping their region record unblemished.
The game was a classic pitchers’ dual as Dade’s Kayleigh Warnock and Pepperell’s Caroline Morgan battled toe-to-toe for nine innings. A total of 302 pitches were thrown, 133 by Warnock and 169 by Morgan.
Only five walks were issued and of the 302 pitches thrown 210 of those were strikes. Warnock recorded 12 strikeouts while Morgan recorded 14 in the nine-inning game.
Warnock also came up big at the plate, picking up four hits and also had one RBI. Adilyn Gross had a pair of hits and Lawson had two hits and two RBI’s.
On Thursday, Sept. 14, the Lady Wolverines traveled to Armuchee to face the Lady Indians in another region match up.
Dade County got on the board in the top of the first inning, scoring one run, only to see the Lady Indians score a pair in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead.
The Lady Wolverines put together a big inning in the second, scoring four runs as Armuchee’s defense fell apart and they regained the lead, 5-1.
Dade added a run in the fourth and three in the fifth to go up 9-1 and then finished things off in the sixth with another run giving them a 10-2 lead.
The Lady Indians were held scoreless after the first inning, and the game was called after six innings on the run rule giving the Lady Wolverines the 10-2 win.
Warnock pitched another outstanding game going six innings, giving up two runs, five hits, one walk, and striking out eight.
Gross led the Lady Wolverines at the plate with two hits and three RBI’s, while Lawson and Lilah Wilson had two hits each.
This week, the Lady Wolverines hosted Dalton on Monday, traveled to Chattooga on Tuesday, and Dade County will host Darlington’s Lady Tigers Thursday. First pitch is at 5 p.m.