Duffinator and Byars lead the way at the plate, Fergy strong on pitching rubber as EC JV defeats Northgate

Olivia Cook had an RBI single in the top of the fifth
inning and scored the tying run in the same frame.

Caison Byars would have a day where she had impact on two games while Ansley Duffey was at it again with two runs scoring doubles Wednesday as the East Coweta Lady Indians defeated the Northgate Lady Vikings 5-3 in a junior varsity softball matchup.

The Lady Indians, who defeated the Lady Vikings 9-8 on the same field two weeks ago, improved to 12-3-1 on the season.

The Lady Vikings were the early aggressor as Alexis Brandon led off the bottom of the second with a single and a sacrifice bunt by Maggie Donaldson moved a courtesy runner to second who would score\ the game’s first run on a double by Sara Turi.

Northgate added to the lead in the bottom of the third inning as Gracie Storey led off with a single and came home on a double by Hope Futral and a pitching change was made by EC from Mollie Peacock to Kylie Ferguson.

Ferguson was greeted by a double off the bat of Brandon and another run scored as Futral crossed home plate.

The Lady Vikings were unable to score any more runs as Ferguson settled into a rhythm as she retired 12 of the next 13 batters to give the Lady Indians a chance to rally in the game.

Northgate's Alissa Bolinger held the EC at bay until
the fifth when the Lady Indians score four runs to take
the lead .

Alissa Bolinger manged to keep the Lady Indians off the scoreboard until the top of the fourth inning as Byars reached first on a force play, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error before coming home on Duffey’s first run scoring double of the day.

Bolinger retired the next two batters in the fourth and opened the fifth by surrendering a double to Katie Taylor before retiring the next two batters on a groundout and strikeout that gave her a chance to avert a rally.

Unfortunately for the Northgate pitcher, the third out didn’t come as Olivia Cook singled to score Taylor to cut the margin to 3-2 and Kenadie Cooper followed with a bunt single for Byars who would eventually find herself having impact for the first time of the day.

With an 0-1 count, Byars would make herself known with a double to left that brought Cook and Cooper home to give the Lady Indians a 4-3 lead.

Duffey, who recorded her first varsity hit and RBI in the 20-2 win over Wheeler on Tuesday, collected her second RBI double in the game with a shot to left center and Byars collected her second run of the game as she crossed the plate.

At that point, Bolinger was replaced on the pitching rubber and the inning ended after that as Ashleigh Griffin hit a flyball to left field.

Next for the Lady Indians will be a junior varsity game on Monday at 5:00 in Sharpsburg against an Alexander team they defeated 6-1 on August 11 in Douglasville.

Lynch records 16 K's in EC varsity win