SYLVANIA TELEPHONE

Softball takes seven straight

Burton Kemp Jr.
Contributor to Sylvania Telephone

On the heels of four straight region losses the week of Sept. 13-17, the SCHS Lady Gamecock softball team of Jim Randall Doyle exploded for seven consecutive wins Sept. 21-30 -- five of them last week -- to improve to 13-4 overall and 9-4 in Region 3A.

Lady Gamecock freshman Julia Dews slides into second base safely as McIntosh County Academy's junior Keaton Walker and senior Bailey Middleton converge to handle a throw.

Six of the seven recent wins were region wins. 

With third and fourth place on the line, the Red and White were scheduled to host Bryan County on Oct. 4 in their final 3A contest of the season.

Lady Gamecock sophomore Cheyenne Heath receives congratulations after scoring another run against visiting MCA as SCHS would take both games of the doubleheader at home.

In order to give both teams an added quality contest, a game with 3AAA champion Southeast Bulloch in Brooklet on Oct. 7 was added to the schedule. Starting time is 4 p.m.

The SCHS team will most likely go to either Donaldsonville to face Seminole County or to Pelham to start the state playoffs on Oct. 13 (DH) and 14 (“if”).

Freshman Lady Gamecock pitcher Tamia Pierce goes into her windup against visiting MCA as SCHS claimed doubleheader wins on Sept. 30.

Following the next to last week of the season, the Region 3A standings showed ECI having claimed the region title at 12-1 (22-2) with Portal taking the region runner-up position at 11-2 (13-5). SCHS was 9-4 (13-4) with Bryan County at 8-4 (12-5). Rounding out the standings were Metter at 5-8 (7-12); Jenkins County at 4-10 (4-14); Claxton at 2-11 (3-16); and MCA at 1-12 (3-16). 

Lady Gamecock freshman catcher Ashley Stanley makes solid contact as Screven County took both games of the Sept. 30 doubleheader against MCA.

By GHSA rules, region play must be completed by Oct. 9.

Five of the seven straight wins came last week.

While there were four region wins by a combined score of 48-0, by far the biggest emotional win was 5-4 over visiting 3AAA champion SEB.

The game featured four lead changes, the last on a two-run homer by Shay Sasser in the bottom of the fifth making the score 5-4 SCHS.

Madison Scott also hit a game-tying homer in the fourth. Emma Jones had three hits; Cheyenne Heath two; and Sasser had three RBI.

Doyle employed his three top pitchers with Tamia Pierce going the first two; Jones the middle three; and Lauren McMillan the final two. Jones got the win with McMillan getting a tough save.

SEB had runners on second and third with one out in the seventh.

The SEB win gave the Lady Gamecocks back-to-back wins over region champions as it came on the heels of whipping 3A champ ECI 8-1 on Sept. 23. 

The four region wins were over Claxton 10-0; Metter 13-0; and a sweep of MCA 12-0 and 13-0. 

In the four region games, Pierce (6-2, 2.07) picked up two wins; Jones one (5-2, 2.48); and McMillan one (2-0, 1.80).

On the week, Pierce hurled 12 innings allowing seven hits, two earned runs, walking four and striking out 17. Jones went seven innings, allowed one hit, two earned runs, walking five and striking out eight. McMillan had six innings, allowed four hits, no earned runs, and struck out eight, walking one.

In the five games last week, leading hitters were Julia Dews at 10-15; Jones and Ashley Stanley at 7-12; Sasser at 6-14; and Jonna Ward and Heath at 7-15. Top RBI producers for the week were Sasser with 11; Stanley with six; and with Jones and Dews picking up five each. 

Junior Emma Jones continued her strong season at the plate during the Lady Gamecocks' two wins over visiting MCA on Sept. 30.

Dews scored 10 runs with Jones and Ward eight each.