The Gilmer High Lady Cats split their region softball games in the penultimate week of the regular season.
GHS hosted Lumpkin County last Monday, and the Cats found themselves in another familiar spot. Gilmer led going into the final inning, and the Indians got the big hit they needed. However, the Cats denied Lumpkin’s comeback bid and secured a 6-5 victory.
GHS was back at home the following day against the White County Warriors. The Cats trailed throughout, and while they were able to plate a pair of runs in the seventh, White secured a 7-4 victory.
The game against Lumpkin was scoreless through 2 1/2 innings. The Cats ended that as Lily Fortune drew a one-out walk. Sarah Dale’s sacrifice bunt moved Fortune to second, and she scored when the Indian center fielder was unable to catch a line drive off the bat of Jaylee McDaniel.
LCHS took advantage of a Lady Cat error as well in the fourth. A two-out single saw the Indians slip ahead, 2-1.
GHS was back at it in its at-bat. Both Phoenix Addie and Gracie Morrow singled and Lily Jones was hit by a pitch. A.J. Allen reached on an infield hit to even the score, and Dale’s two-run double gave GHS a 4-2 edge.
The Indians’ bats were held in check over the fifth and sixth innings while the Cats added a pair of runs. In the fifth, another error cost the Indians. Senior Zoey Woody singled to left and claimed second base on a wild pitch. She then trotted home when Lumpkin’s shortstop was unable to field Addie’s sharply-hit grounder.
In their next at-bat, Fortune took first following another Indian error. Dale’s double gave the Cats a 6-2 lead, and Lumpkin only had three outs to prolong the game.
An error and infield hit gave Lumpkin the opportunity it needed, and a two-out home run over the left-field fence allowed LCHS to draw within a run. A fly out to Allen in right field ended the game as GHS earned its second region victory.
None of the Indians’ runs were earned on seven hits, and Fortune struck out three and walked one. Dale and Woody each had two hits, and the former drove in three runs.
Dale turned in another two-hit performance versus White County. The Warriors’ offense was consistent with 12 hits, which produced runs in five innings.
WCHS scored a run in the first and led 3-0 after its second at-bat. The Warriors also plated a run in the third and fourth innings.
GHS struck for two runs in its half of the third. Dale singled and scored when McDaniel doubled to left. Addie came through with two outs with a single to center for Gilmer’s second run.
The Warriors’ two-run sixth allowed them to push their lead to 7-2. With two outs in the seventh, Fortune and Dale strung together singles. They both raced home when McDaniel reached on an error by White’s center fielder. The Cats’ rally was cut short with a ground out to end the game.
Fortune pitched seven innings and all of the Warriors’ runs were earned. She fanned seven and walked two.
A recap of the Cats’ Monday evening game versus Pickens will appear in next week’s Times-Courier. The Lady Cats traveled to Norcross to face Wesleyan at press deadline.