EC improves to 30-0 after sweep of Peachtree Ridge in first round of playoffs

File photo courtesy of Nicole Vaughan

Rachel Vaughan allowed a sixth inning single and
recorded 10 strikeouts as the Lady Indians were
5-0 winners in the second game of the series.

SHARPSBURG-Pitching dictated how the first round AAAAAAA series between the East Coweta Lady Indians and Peachtree Ridge Lady Lions would end.
The Lady Indians vaunted hurlers managed to outduel those with the Lady Lions Thursday as they swept both games to advance to the second round and improve to 30-0.
In the first game, Kelley Lynch tossed a two-hitter and recorded 15 strikeouts as the Lady Indians defeated the Lady Lions 3-0.
Rachel Vaughan had another strong outing in the second game as she allowed one hit and recorded 10 strikeouts in the 5-0 decision that gave the Lady Indians the sweep and improved the overall mark to 30-0.
The Lady Indians will host a second round series next Wednesday against either Hillgrove ( a team EC defeated 3-0 on August 11) or Cherokee who begin their best of three series on Friday.
In the opener, Lynch got off to a solid start as he retired two batters on strikeout and a third on a pop to third baseman Ashlynn Gunter.
Peachtree Ridge starter Destyn Jones proved to be tough on EC as she induced three groundballs to sandwich a pair of walk in the bottom of the first inning and managed to keep them off the scoreboard in the bottom of the second despite allowing two baserunners.
The Lady Indians had a chance to get on the board in the bottom of third inning as Olivia Davis led off with an infield single, stole second and went to third when Lynch grounded out.
However, Jones tossed what looked to be a wild pitch, but catcher Riley Hudson managed to get to the loose ball and beat Davis to the plate to make the tag.
The Lady Indians finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning as Carmen Prior walked and reached second on a stolen base and advanced to third on a single by Lilly Agan.
Agan stole second and Lynch was intentionally walked for Gunter who drilled to right center for a two-run double and gave EC the lead.
Vaughan reached on a walk to load the bases and Jones was replaced on the pitching rubber by Jenna White.
In four and one-third innings, Jones allowed three hits, walked four and recorded three strikeouts.
White was able to prevent further scoring as courtesy runner Kenadie Cooper was out at the plate on a force play and Hanna Miller was retired on an infield pop.
The Lady Indians added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning as Prior reached on a one out walk, stole second and after Agan reached on an infield single, Davis lined a single that score Prior.
White again was able to prevent further damage as she retired the next two batters to end the frame, but the Lady Lions were unable to come back in the top of the seventh as they were retired in order.
In the second game,  the Lady Indians took the lead early as Davis reached on a one out walk in the top of the first and stole second before Lynch drilled a 2-2 offering from White over the left center field fence.
The Lady Lions hoped to get back into the game in the bottom of the inning as two walks sandwiched a strikeout by Vaughan.
However, they left the runners stranded as Vaughan recovered from the slow start to retire the next two batters on strikeouts.
Meanwhile, White kept her team in the game as she would go on a streak of retiring 11 of 13 batters with the other two retired on the bases.
That streak would fade away in the top of the fifth inning as Caison Byars reached on an error, stole second and scored on a triple by Prior who would come home on a wild pitch to give the Lady Indians a 4-0 lead.
After a walk to Agan, White was replaced on the pitching rubber by Ellie Lunsford who managed to induce an infield pop to end the frame.
The Lady Indians added one more run in the top of the sixth inning as Lynch and Ashlynn Gunter singled and after a solid sacrifice bunt by Vaughan, Ansley Gunter singled between shortstop and third base for an RBI as pinch runner Katie Taylor scored on the play.
Meanwhile, Vaughan had another dominating performance at work as she was getting strikeouts at a solid clip in the early innings.
A shot at a no-hitter was lost in the bottom of the sixth inning as Aleix Hudson single to center, but a ground ball was hit to Ansley Gunter at first who threw a strike to Lynch at shortstop and the latter showed off her infielder's arm with a strike to Davis who was covering first.
Vaughan manged to get through the bottom of the seventh inning as Lundsford reached on an error but was erased on a running mistake at second after a strikeout and the game ended on a ground ball to Davis who threw to first for out number three.