The Gilmer Lady Cats are in a playoff battle as the softball season winds down.
The Cats hosted the Adairsville Tigers last Monday for senior night, and GHS got two wins on the day. Game one was the final two innings of a game originally suspended by weather Aug. 21. The Cats broke the late tie and secured a 5-4 victory.
In game two, Jaylee McDaniel ended the proceedings with a two-run walk-off home run. A celebration ensued at home plate, and this time the Cats won, 4-2.
GHS was in Calhoun a day later, and the Yellow Jackets’ offense was clicking on all cylinders for a 17-2 win. The Cats got revenge two days later at home. Sarah Dale tossed a shutout with the help of solid defense for a 3-0 triumph.
Game one against Adairsville resumed in the top of the sixth inning with the score tied, 4-4. The Cats had runners on second and third with Mary Grace Jones at the plate, and her single to left scored Makayla Martin.
Phoenix Addie walked and McDaniel singled to right to begin the seventh, but the former was stranded at second base.
Pitcher Lily Fortune retired the Tigers in order in the sixth and seventh innings to preserve the win. She gave up three earned runs on nine hits while striking out six and walking two.
Before the game was postponed Aug. 21, GHS took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning and added its fourth run in the third. AHS plated a run in the first and fifth innings and two in the third before the game was delayed.
Brenlee Daniel had two hits in the game and drove in a run, and Martin added two hits. McDaniel and Dale each recorded a hit and RBI. Mia Henson drove in the remaining run, and Fortune and Braley Stewart each had a hit.
Home runs began and ended game two for the Cats. Adairsville’s two runs came in its first at-bat thanks to four hits.
Stewart got GHS on the board with a solo home run in the second. In the fourth, consecutive singles to center field by Stewart and Fortune started the inning. Gracie Gaitanoglou’s two-out base hit to center plated Stewart to even the score, 2-2.
Martin’s leadoff bunt started Gilmer’s rally in the seventh, and with two outs, she swiped second and third base. McDaniel then stepped to the plate and ended the game with a homer over the right field fence.
Stewart finished with three hits on the day, and Fortune and Gaitanoglou had two apiece.
GHS pitching: Fortune 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 K, 2 BB. Stewart 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 K.
Calhoun racked up 13 hits, and four were for extra bases the following day. The Jackets scored eight runs in each of the first two innings and another in the third.
GHS got some offense going when Dale and Jones walked and Fortune singled to load the bases to begin the third. Stewart’s base hit to left scored a run, and Jones sprinted home when Addie grounded out.
Stewart had two hits and also pitched 2/3 innings and gave up five hits and three earned runs while striking out one and walking one.
Dale pitched 1/3 of an inning in relief. She allowed four earned runs off two hits and three walks. Fortune was in the circle for an inning and surrendered six hits for three earned runs and struck out two.
GHS turned the tables against Calhoun Thursday, and Dale and the defense quelled the Jackets’ bats for only four hits.
Gilmer left the bases loaded in the first inning and a runner stranded at second in the fourth. In the fifth, the Cats’ two-out rally produced three runs.
A one-out infield hit by Dale got the inning going, and Stewart singled up the middle with two outs to put runners at the corners. McDaniel’s walk loaded the bases, and Dale raced home on a wild pitch. Addie then blasted a single to left to plate two more for a 3-0 Gilmer lead.
A hit and double gave Calhoun a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs in the seventh inning, but Dale struck out a Jacket for the final out.
Dale gave up five hits over seven innings and struck out five.
Stewart had two hits once again, and Daniel and Gaitanoglou also recorded a hit for the Cats.
The Cats hosted Cherokee Saturday for a nonregion game and lost to the Warriors, 4-1.
The game was even 1-1 headed into the top of the sixth where Cherokee scored three runs. GHS left runners stranded at second base in its half of the sixth, as well as the seventh. For the game, GHS ended innings with six runners in scoring position.
Dale finished with two hits on the day while Fortune, McDaniel, Jones and Martin had one each.
GHS pitching: Fortune 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 K. Stewart 1 IP, 1 K.
GHS played a doubleheader at LaFayette Monday and lost 3-0 and 10-2. The Cats have a 14-13 overall record and are 7-8 versus region opponents.
GHS is currently third in the region standings and will wrap up the regular season next week beginning with Monday’s 5:30 p.m. game at Northwest Whitfield (7-14, 5-8).