Gilmer High opened its softball season with a tournament.
The GHS Lady Cats traveled to Cass High School last Saturday and took the field for three games. Gilmer faced teams from larger classifications in each game, and the Cats fell to Chamblee to start the tournament, 7-0.
Gilmer had a better offensive performance against Griffin, but its rally fell short in the end, 6-5. The Cats’ day concluded versus Cartersville. The Purple Hurricanes were able to find success offensively while limiting GHS to four hits. Gilmer was unable to trim the lead to fewer than eight runs in the fifth inning and lost, 9-0.
Chamblee collected seven hits on the day, and a GHS error led to three unearned runs. CHS plated a trio of runs in the third inning and four more crossed home plate in the fourth.
The Cats tallied three hits as Jaylee McDaniel, Sarah Dale and Zoey Woody all had one apiece. Lilly Fortune tossed all five innings for GHS, and she fanned seven and walked two.
Errors hurt both teams in game two as Griffin and Gilmer each allowed just two earned runs. Lady Cats Phoenix Addie and Fortune both accounted for two hits and a RBI. McDaniel had another hit as well.
The Bears took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the third inning where GHS scored three runs. Griffin pushed its lead to 6-3 headed into the Cats’ half of the fifth.
GHS was able to muster a two-out rally when McDaniel singled to center. She scored on Addie’s base hit to center, and Fortune did the same to add a fifth run. The Cats were unable to complete the comeback and lost by one.
Addie got the start and went 2 2/3 innings. She struck out four, walked one and allowed one earned run. McDaniel was in the circle for 2 1/3 innings. She struck out five and gave up four hits and one earned run.
Cartersville got on the board with two runs in the second inning. Four more runs came in the fourth, and three Canes scored in the fifth. Gilmer committed six errors, which led to four unearned CHS runs.
Dale, A.J. Allen, Woody and Gracie Gaitanoglou each had a hit for Gilmer. Fortune pitched 3 2/3 innings and struck out four and walked one. She allowed eight hits and four earned runs. Addie saw 1 1/3 innings of relief work. She gave up three hits and one earned run.
Gilmer hosts Cass (0-3) Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.