Lady Wolverines Drop Season Opener With Lady Ramblers, Split With Lady Panthers
By EDDY GIFFORD
Sports Writer
Photo by Eddy Gifford – The Lady Wolverines’ Madi Page makes a catch in a game last season. The Lady Wolverines opened their season last week with three games, winning one. They were scheduled to play their first home game Tuesday. See next week’s Sentinel for all the Lady Wolverines softball action.
The Dade County Lady Wolverine softball team traveled to LaFayette to face the Lady Ramblers on Thursday, Aug. 1, in both teams’ season opener.
The game was to be the Lady Wolverines home opener but was moved to LaFayette due to field conditions.
The Lady Ramblers came out hot, scoring three first inning runs to take the early lead. The Lady Wolverines struggled early on, failing to score in the first four innings while the Lady Ramblers built on their lead.
LaFayette scored a run in the second, two in the third, and two in the fourth to build their lead to 8-0.
Dade County scored their first runs of the season in the bottom of the fifth inning when Lexi Wilson singled on a line drive to center. Rylee Byram then singled on a bunt and Wilson advanced to third. Madi Page reached on an error, scoring Wilson and advancing Byram to third. Camy Chambers singled to load the bases with no outs but she was later called out due to offensive interference.
After loading the bases again with one out, Byram scored on a walk to Riley Talley for Dade’s second run of the inning. That would be all the Lady Wolverines were able to score as LaFayette’s defense rose to the occasion.
The final two innings were scoreless, and Dade County dropped its season opener by the final score of 8-2.
Chambers led the Lady Wolverines with two hits while Adilynn Gross, Isabell White, Lawson, Byram, and Page had one hit each.
Lawson went the distance on the mound giving up eight hits and eight runs (three earned) while walking three and striking out four.
2BH: Page
TB: Chambers 2, Page 2, Gross 2, White 1Wilson 1, Byram 1
SB: Chambers 2, Byram 1
Pitches-Strikes: Lawson 121-78
Batters Faced: Lawson 34
On Saturday, Aug. 3, the Lady Wolverines traveled to Ridgeland High School to face the Lady Panthers in a double header.
Dade County started fast in this one as they scored three runs in the top of the first inning to take a lead they would never give up. The team added a run in the top of the second inning to take a 4-0 lead while Lexi Lawson started strong on the mound, pitching three scoreless innings to start the game.
Ridgeland managed a run in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the lead to 4-1, but the Lady Wolverines answered with five runs in the top of the fifth to go up 9-1.
The Lady Panthers pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 9-4 and managed to score one in the sixth but that was all they would get. Dade County picked up their first win of the season, 9-5.
Lilah Wilson led the Lady Wolverines with three hits, two RBIs, and scored a run. Lawson had two hits and two RBI’s and picked up her first win of the season pitching seven innings giving up five runs while walking three and striking out seven.
2BH: Chambers, Lawson
TB: Lawson 3, Wilson 3, Chambers 2, Gross 1, Page 1,
Byram 1 Daniel 1
HBP: White
SB: Gross, Chambers, West
E: Chambers
Pitches-Strikes: Lawson 118-81
Batters Faced: Lawson 33
The second game of the doubleheader was much closer as both teams had trouble scoring runs. The Lady Panthers took the lead in the bottom of the first inning pushing across one run.
Dade answered in the top of the second, scoring a run to tie the game 1-1.
After a scoreless third, Ridgeland regained the lead, scoring a pair of runs to go up 3-1. They then added another run in the fifth, going up 4-1. After two shut out innings by both teams, the Lady Panthers claimed a 4-1 win.
Adilynn Gross led the Lady Wolverines with two hits, and she scored a run. Kaleighly West pitched four innings, giving up three runs (one earned) and walking two, and Lexi Lawson pitched two innings, giving up one unearned run.
2BH: Byram
TB: Gross 3, Byram 2, Page 1
CS: Gross
E: Gross, White, Lawson, Harvey
Pitches-Strikes: West 67-38; Lawson 38-22
Batters Faced: West 17, Lawson 11
This week, the Lady Wolverines hosted Murray County on Tuesday and will play in the Dalton tournament at Heritage Point Park on Friday and Saturday. Game times and fields were not available at press time.
