The Gilmer High Lady Cats have yet to find themselves on the winning side through the early softball season.
GHS took the field for four games at home last week. The Lumpkin County Indians topped the Cats 7-5 Tuesday, and White County snatched a 13-4 win two days later.
Gilmer hosted two nonregion teams Saturday, and Coahulla Creek surged to a 10-3 win. The Cats closed out their day against Union County, and the Panthers returned to Blairsville with a 14-5 triumph.
The top of the Cats’ batting order proved to be a tough out versus Lumpkin. Sarah Dale, Zoey Woody, Jaylee McDaniel and Phoenix Addie all had two hits on the day.
Addie also added four RBIs from her clean-up spot, and the Cats put two runs on the board in the first inning. Dale’s walk and Woody’s single were followed by a McDaniel double for the Cats’ first run. Addie then grounded out to score Woody.
After plating a run in the top of the first, LCHS racked up five hits in the second, which included a double. The Indians also drew a walk and took advantage of a GHS error for a 6-2 lead. Only two of the five runs scored were earned, and Addie was replaced by Woody at pitcher.
Addie’s base hit in the fifth scored Dale, and LCHS answered with a run in its next at-bat.
Trailing 7-3 in the seventh inning, Dale, Woody and McDaniel strung together three hits to load the bases. Addie’s double to right cut the Indians’ lead to two, but Lumpkin was able to get the final two outs with GHS runners stranded in scoring position.
A.J. Allen also had a hit for GHS. Addie pitched 1 2/3 innings, walked two and allowed six hits and three earned runs. Woody tossed the final 5 1/3 innings and gave up one earned run and four hits.
Six of White County’s 13 runs were unearned due to seven GHS errors. The Warriors led 4-0 after an inning and 4-2 following Addie’s two-run single in the bottom of the third.
WCHS plated two more runs in the fourth, and the Cats did the same in their half of the inning. Sierra Williams singled to left and courtesy runner KateLynn Carder eventually raced home on a wild pitch. Dale’s hit to left scored Allen, who reached base on an error.
Down 6-4, the Cats committed an error in each of the next two innings. Coupled with six Warrior hits, which included three doubles, the margin stood at 13-4 in the middle of the sixth.
The Cats were unable to cut into White’s lead and the game was called.
Also accounting for a hit on the day were Lady Cats Woody, McDaniel and Allen. Lily Fortune pitched six innings and surrendered eight hits and four earned runs. She struck out two and walked one. Woody gave up two hits, three earned runs and one walk.
Coahulla Creek’s nine-hit day was aided by GHS errors, which led to four unearned runs. Two of those runs scored in the fourth inning, and two of the Colts’ three runs in the seventh were also unearned.
CCHS tallied a pair of runs in both the second and sixth innings and one in the first.
The Cats had six hits and three of those came in their final at-bat. Gracie Morrow and Allen both singled and stood on the base paths with two outs. Dale arrived safely at first because of a Colt error, and Morrow came home for Gilmer’s first run.
Allen then raced home on a wild pitch before Woody’s base hit to center scored Dale.
Williams and Morrow also had a hit for GHS. Dale recorded two hits and pitched four innings. She struck out four and allowed two earned runs off six hits. McDaniel finished the game and pitched three innings, walked three and struck out three and gave up four earned runs.
Union totaled 13 hits versus GHS, and the Panthers plated three runs in their first at-bat. Union belted seven hits in the third inning and were helped by a Lady Cat defensive miscue for seven more runs.
GHS was able to spark a two-out rally in the fourth. Following Morrow’s hit to right, Mia Henson doubled for Gilmer’s first run. She then scored on Fortune’s triple. UCHS added two more runs in its next at-bat to lead 12-2.
In the fifth, GHS was able to prolong the game. Dale scored on an error, and Morrow’s ensuing double scored two more runs as Union’s lead was trimmed to 12-5. UCHS tallied its final two runs in its half of the sixth. The game was called because of run differential when GHS was unable to score.
Woody finished with two hits and McDaniel had one. Lady Cat errors led to six unearned runs. Addie was in the circle for 2 2/3 innings. She surrendered 11 hits, six earned runs and struck out one and walked two. Dale pitched 3 1/3 innings of relief. She struck out four, walked six and allowed two earned runs off two hits.
GHS is 0-10 overall and 0-2 against region opponents.
The Cats continued their region schedule versus the Dawson County Tigers at press deadline. Gilmer travels to Pickens Thursday for a 5:55 p.m. game against the Dragonettes.