HoCo, Perry softball breeze through round one; Veterans to play win-or-go-home Game 3

It’s not over yet, but overall it’s been a breezy first round for Houston County’s softball teams.

Through the first six games of the postseason, Houston County, Perry and Veterans have outscored their opponents by a combined 68-11 behind some great pitching performances and encouraging hitting numbers. Only one game went a full seven innings.

Houston County

The Lady Bears swept East Paulding by scores of 13-1 and 10-1 in a series that only lasted eight innings. HoCo scored in six of those.

The first inning of Game 1 wasn’t one of them; aside from a single by Ann Marie DeFore the Lady Bears were held off of the bags with ground outs and a pop out.

Piper Lambert, one of three pitchers around the county with a phenomenal Game 1 performance, struck out three batters in the top of the second to reach five total. She finished with eight strikeouts, one earned run, two hits and no walks in four innings.

HoCo followed that with six singles, a double, an error and a pop up to take a 7-0 lead and firm control of the game as they chased the mercy rule.

Lambert struck out two more before they returned to the plate and scored six more runs in the third, highlighted by DeFore’s two-run jack to center field to put them ahead 11-0.

DeFore was one of, if not HoCo’s best, hitters in round one. She was a combined 5-for-6 (perfect 3-for-3 in Game 1) at the plate with three RBI. Lambert and Allie Hutto each pulled in three RBI in Game 1 and Armani Frazier was also a perfect 3-for-3.

In Game 2, Olivia Buffone was 2-for-2 and brought home a series-high four RBI as the Lady Bears advanced to the second round.

HoCo will host the winner of Northside-Columbus (9th) and Jackson County (24th), who will play Game 3 on Oct. 15 after a 7-4 upset win for Jackson County in Game 2.

Perry

Perry was the only team to earn a round one shutout as they easily took care of Jonesboro with 12-0 and 15-0 scores.

The series was 6.5 innings long and the Lady Panthers put up crooked numbers in every inning except for the third of Game 1.

Emma Rose Wood headlined their opening victory with a county-high 10 strikeouts and a no-hitter in four innings, the only among county-wide Game 1 starters to finish with either double digit strikeouts or a no-hitter.

Kate Murphy was responsible for nearly half of Perry’s Game 1 hits (7-for-22, .318) with her 3-for-3 statline, and she was one of four Lady Panthers to bring home two RBI. Addison Sisa, Natalie Myers and Cali Grace Williamson were the other three.

Perry ruled the bags and stole bases practically whenever they wanted. That was especially prevalent in Game 2 when Jonesboro’s defense lacked energy, and at times focus and awareness, as the Lady Panthers scored eight and seven runs in the first and second innings respectively.

Camilla English walked in the first inning of Game 2 and stole second in the same sequence. She advanced to third on the throw as Sisa scored. Passed balls consistently allowed runners to move, too.

Sisa, English and Myers were all perfect from the plate in Game 2; Sisa was 3-for-3 and the latter two were 2-for-2. English led the team with four RBI.

The Lady Cardinals started to energize themselves with a few defensive plays, but Perry squashed any momentum they might’ve had with an overwhelming offense.

Perry will head on the road to play North Oconee in the second round. The Titans (6th) dispatched a familiar opponent in Union Grove (27th) 17-9 and 10-2 to advance. The doubleheader is scheduled for Oct. 21 with an “if” Game 3 on Oct. 22.

Veterans

Veterans’ first round isn’t quite over after Newnan secured a late upset in Game 2.

The Lady Warhawks gave up a solo home run to start Game 1, but it was all ‘Hawks from there as Veterans scored 11 runs in the first inning of a 12-2 victory.

Maddy Kinkade’s grand slam to push the Lady ‘Hawks over the run rule threshold may be the county’s best first-round highlight, and it helped her bring home a series-high four RBI. She was also the only player in Game 1 to bat a perfect 2-for-2. Kendra Levi (2-for-3, one RBI) was the only other Lady ‘Hawk to finish with more than one hit in Game 1.

Cadence Scott was one of the county’s three Game 1 pitchers to put on a great effort. She finished with seven strikeouts and gave up one earned run, and were it not for the solo home run in the first, she would’ve been looking at a no-hitter. Her changeup was lethal to hitters with two strikes.

Game 2 didn’t go as smoothly despite Veterans’ strong three-run opening. The Lady ‘Hawks scored in the first four innings and led 6-3 before the bats dried up and the Lady Cougars manufactured a comeback.

It started in the fifth inning with a walk that led into a pop out and a ground out. Newnan’s Adalynn Manley tallied up a 2-2 count before belting a two-run bomb to left field to pull them within one run.

The Lady Cougars’ bats started to heat up in the sixth after the defense delivered a back-breaking double play to strand two Veterans runners in the top. The offense opened with a single, moved the runner with a sacrifice bunt and put the go-ahead run on with a single to right field.

Lauren Watson’s line drive to right field was the nail in the coffin, and the Lady ‘Hawks went three-up-three-down in the seventh to finish.

Should Veterans win Game 3 (12 p.m. on Oct. 15) they will travel next week to play Glynn Academy (6th), who swept McIntosh (27th) 12-0 and 10-0, on Oct. 21. An “if” game will be played on Oct. 22.