EC opens softball season with wins over Lassiter and Hillgrove

(File photo)Kelley Lynch had a successful Friday night

with a three-run home run in East Coweta's 13-2 six-inning win

over Lassiter and toss a one-hit, 14 strikeout performance in a

3-0 win over Hillgrove. 

POWDER SPRINGS-The last time the East Coweta Lady Indians faced the Lassiter Lady Trojans last October in the second round of the 2016 Elite Eight 7A State Tournament in Columbus.

In that game, the Lady Trojans came back from a 3-1 deficit to come away with a 4-3 extra inning win and force the Lady Indians to play a game that evening.

Turn the page to Friday night and the Lady Indians got a measure of revenge as they opened the 2017 softball season with a 13-2 six-inning win over the Lady Trojans at the Lassiter field.

The Lady Indians were not done for the evening recording wins at Lassiter as they scored all of their runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat the Hillgrove Lady Hawks 3-0 in a game that saw Kelley Lynch toss a one-hitter.

In the opening game, EC took command early as Olivia Davis reached on a one out single in the top of the first inning, Lynch reached on a walk and Ashlynn Gunter drilled a shot over the left field fence for a three-run home run.

The Lady Trojans scored single runs in the bottom of the first and second innings but the Lady Indians responded with five-run frames in the fifth and the sixth inning and the Lady Trojans were unable to recover.

In the top of the fifth inning, Lilly Agan walked and moved to second on an error that allowed Davis to reach and after Lynch reached on a walk to load the bases, Gunter singled to right to bring Agan home to give EC a 4-2 lead.

Far from done, Wright sliced a 2-1 offering along the right field line for a triple and allowing the bases to clear to increase the lead to 7-2.

Wright scored the final run of the frame when Caison Byars delivered a two-out single left field.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Lady Indians weren’t done as Agan reached on a bunt single and Davis followed by reaching on a walk ahead of Lynch who drilled a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence for a three-run home run.

Gunter followed with a walk and advanced to third as Wright followed with a double and Olivia Cook narrowly missed her first varsity hit and home run with a shot to left field added to the run total as highlights were a three-run home run by Lynch and a sacrifice fly hit by Olivia Cook that was hit in front of the left field wall.

Cook had to settle for a sacrifice fly as Gunter came home from third and the final run of the frame came from another Gunter as Ansley delivered a single that scored Wright for the final run of the game an RBI single by Gunter's sister Ansley who recorded her first varsity hit and RBI.

Rachel Vaughan pitched the first five innings for the Lady Indians allowing six hits while Wright retired the side in order in the sixth.

Offensively, Agan, Ashlynn Gunter, Wright and Byars each recorded two hits in the game.

In the game against Hillgrove, Lynch dominated the first two batters of the game with strikeouts before walking the next two and getting the third out with a strikeout.

This would be a pattern for Lynch who surrendered a bunt single the Lady Hawks’ Savannah Stewart in the top of the third inning before retiring the next 12 batters before surrendering a walk in the top of the seventh inning.

Meanwhile, the Lady Indians had few opportunities to get on the scoreboard as well as Chandler Greene who solid defense by her teammates to keep the game scoreless.

However, the defense let her down in the bottom of the sixth inning as Agan reached on a walk, stole second and reached third on a wild pitch before Davis hit a ground ball that was mishandled in the infield and thrown past first base for an error.

The error allowed Agan to score from third and Davis eventually stole second and score on a single by Lynch.

After Gunter reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced on a wild pitch by Greene, Wright followed with a single to right that scored Gunter with the final tally of the contest.

In the final frame, Lynch opened with a walk but finished the game with a pair of strikeouts to give her 14 for the evening and a popfly to Madison Lecuona to end a game in which Lynch had more hits than her opponent.

The next game for the Lady Indians will be Wednesday August 16 at home against the Northgate Lady Vikings in a 6:00 game that is part of the Georgia Dugout Club Tournament.