Lady Wolverines Are Super Regional Champs, Open Elite Eight State Play Today in Columbus
Photo by Eddy Gifford – Third baseman Rylee Byram applied the tag in action last week in the Super Regional held at Dade County High School.
By EDDY GIFFORD
Sports Writer
The Dade County High School Lady Wolverine softball team is headed to the big dance after claiming the championship in the Super Regional played on their home field last week.
Dade County won the tournament by defeating all three of the teams that traveled to Trenton for the first part of the state tournament. They now advance to the Elite Eight this week in Columbus with play starting on Wednesday, Oct. 25.\
Photo by Eddy Gifford – Lady Wolverine shortstop Madi Page fires to first in action last week. The Lady Wolverines claimed the championship and advanced to Columbus for the Elite Eight.
The Lady Wolverines will open play against Heard County who finished the season with a 19-11 record and was the top seed from region four.
Dade opened play in the Super Regional against the St. Frances Knights from Alpharetta and the fourth seed from region six.
The Lady Wolverines took the lead in the second inning when they scored two runs on a pair of Lady Knight errors to go up 2-0.
Dade then added single runs in the third and fourth innings and then capped off their scoring in the fifth when they pushed two runs across to take a 6-0 lead.
St. Frances managed to push one run across in the top of the sixth, but the Lady Wolverines came out the winner in game one by the final score of 6-1.
Lexi Lawson pitched the Lady Wolverines to victory with a strong seven inning performance, giving up just four hits and one run (unearned) while striking out six and walking just two.
Adilyn Gross had a pair of hits and scored one run in the game while KK Castleberry, Kayleigh Warnock, Falyn Baggett, Riley Talley, Rylee Byram, and Lilah Wilson all had hits.
In the Lady Wolverines second game of the day, they faced the Commerce Lady Tigers who had just picked up an extra inning win over Jasper County.
The Lady Tigers came in as the second seed from region 8.
After a scoreless first inning, Dade County scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the second and then added four more runs in the bottom of the third to take a commanding 6-0 lead.
The Lady Tigers managed a run in the top of the fourth, but the Lady Wolverines put the game away in the fifth inning when they scored three more runs and ended the game on the run rule, 9-1.
Warnock was outstanding, pitching five innings, striking out eight, and giving up just three hits and one unearned run.
Warnock also led the offense with three hits and one RBI, while Castleberry had a pair of hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Byram also had two hits, three RBIs, and scored one run.
The Lady Wolverines pounded out nine hits in the five-inning game and with the win set back and waited on the winner of the loser’s bracket for their next game.
On Thursday, the Lady Wolverines faced Jasper County from Monticello who lost their first game of the Super Regional and battled their way back to the finals needing to beat the Lady Wolverines twice to advance to Columbus.
Dade scored a run in the bottom of the first inning when Warnock singled and pinch runner Kiera Hughes stole second and third, then scored on a ground out to put them on top 1-0.
Photo by Eddy Gifford – The Lady Wolverines’ Kayleigh Warnock helped led the Lady Wolverines to the Super Regional championship and a trip to Columbus when she picked up the win in two games by striking out 20 and walking two. DCHS will open play Wednesday morning in Columbus against Heard County.
The Lady Hurricanes from Jasper County tied the game in the top of the fourth when they pushed a run across, but the Lady Wolverines answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead 3-1.
In the bottom of the sixth, Dade put the game away when they scored four runs to go up 7-1. The Lady Hurricanes managed a run in the top of the seventh, but Dade County took the win 7-1.
Warnock pitched another gem, striking out 12 and only walking two while securing Dade’s trip to Columbus. Lawson and Baggett led the offense with two hits each.
It’s on to Columbus to the Elite Eight where they face Heard County today in the first game of their quest for a state championship. The Lady Wolverines won the state in 2004 and 2012.
The Lady Wolverines will be facing an opponent they have faced several times in the past in Heard County who like the Lady Wolverines are regulars to the playoffs.
Good luck to the Lady Wolverines on their quest for another state championship title!
