Cass rallies late for region road win, Woodland cruises to shutout win at Rome
Cass softball scored five unanswered runs in the final two innings Thursday night for a dramatic 7-6 come-from-behind Region 7-AAAAA win at Paulding County.
The host Lady Patriots led 3-2 through three innings and extended their lead to 6-2 in the fifth inning before the Lady Colonels rallied. Cass scored twice in the top of the first inning and added a run in the sixth, but it was a four-run seventh inning that put the Colonels over the top. Cass out hit the Patriots ten to nine in the victory.
Lady Colonels’ starting pitcher Rachael Lee (6.2 IP, 4R, 2ER, 8H, 1BB) picked up the victory in the circle. Kylee Hembree (0.1 IP, 2ER, 1H, 2BB, 1K) retired one batter in the fifth inning.
Ansley Hight led Cass with three hits including a double, a sacrifice fly, and two RBI. Alexis Woods had two hits including a double and two RBI. Eryn Lee had two hits including a double. Haley Smith contributed a hit and one RBI. Kimberly Allen doubled and Lee added the other Lady Colonels’ base hit.
Ashlan Phillips led the Lady Patriots offense with two hits. Savannah Hilderbrand (1 IP, 2ER, 3H) suffered the pitching loss in relief of starter Ashley Brice (6 IP, 5R, 4ER, 7H, 4BB, 1K).
The loss drops Paulding County to 4-9 overall and 2-4 in region play. Cass (6-3, 3-2) will host county and region rival Woodland Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
WOODLAND 12, ROME 0
Woodland pounded out fourteen hits and pitchers Lainey Baker and Hope Schultz combined for a three-hit shutout as the Lady Cats softball team won at Rome Thursday night, 12-0.
Baker (4 IP, 0R, 1H, 0BB, 7K) started for Woodland in the circle and Schultz (2 IP, 0R, 2H, 0BB, 2K) closed out the final two frames as the Wildcats won by run-rule in six innings.
Baker, who finished with two RBI, was one of five Lady Cats with two hits each. Bella Carnes (RBI), Morgan Cooper (RBI), Kendyl Hardin (triple, RBI), Hannah Miller (triple) also had two hits. Ansley Evans contributed a double and had two RBI. Morgan Bailey (2 RBI), Alyssa Motes (RBI), and Cassie Jones had the other Woodland base hits.
The loss drops Rome to 1-11 overall and 0-7 in region action.
Woodland (4-5, 3-2) plays a Region 7-AAAAA make-up game Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Cass.
O'NEAL, JOHNSON LEAD TIGERS TO REGION WIN
Adairsville's Victoria O'Neal pitched her second shutout in three days and Sadye Johnson hit her third home run in that same span to help the Tigers to a 3-0 Region 6-AAA win at Haralson County.
O'Neal fanned eight while allowing only three hits and two walks in the complete-game effort.
It was a night her defense came up big as well. Adairsville head coach Amanda Nelson credited the outfield play of Taylor Fortenberry, Taylor Rhoades and Makayla Wade as key in the victory.
O'Neal helped her cause at the plate with a second inning single and fourth inning walk against the Rebels (8-7, 1-2). In the second, courtesy runner Katie Smith stole a pair of bases before Alyssa Jarrett's RBI groundout produced the game's first run. Two frames later, Smith moved over on Rhoades' groundout, and Jarrett drove her home to set the final margin.
Johnson gave Adairsville (6-6, 3-1) a 2-0 lead with a solo home run earlier in the fourth inning. She hit two home runs in Tuesday's 7-0 win over Murray County and is closing in on double-digit homers for the season.
Adairsville plays Chattooga next Wednesday and will face Rockmart Thursday in non-region games.
