Pitching almost perfect by Holmes, Lynch in one-hitters at Home Plate, winning streak at 50

PEACHTREE CITY-Anybody who was looking for perfection from the East Coweta Lady Indians pitching staff for the second straight night almost got their wish Friday at Home Plate.

After Kelley Lynch pitched a perfect game against the Northgate Lady Vikings on Thursday, Jaliyah Holmes flirted with the feat only but had to settle for a one-hitter in a 7-0 victory over the Parkview Lady Panthers.

Meanwhile, a bunt single was the only mark against Lynch in the second game of the tripleheader as the Lady Indians were 5-0 winners to improve 14-0 this season and collect their 50^th in a row.

The Lady Indians will take those marks into region play on Tuesday as they host the Newnan Lady Cougars in a key Region 2-AAAAAAA game.

East Coweta 7, Parkview 0

Jaliyah Holmes flirted with a perfect game and a no-hitter
against Parkview. The freshman had to setlle for a one-hitter
in the 7-0 win. Photo by Stuart Crosby

The Lady Indians took the lead in the bottom of the first inning as Lilly Agan led off with a triple and came home when the throw from the outfield went into the Lady Panthers’ dugout.

In the bottom of the second inning, EC added to the lead as Macie Wiggins reached on an error and Holmes reached on a force play.

A double by Agan scored Wiggins while courtesy runner Caison Byars scored on a single by Carmen Prior and the lead was 3-0.

The Lady Indians added a run in the bottom of the fourth as Holmes doubled and after a ground out moved Byars to third who eventually scored as Prior hit a sacrifice fly to center field.

A defense played a role in the EC scoring in the bottom of the fifth inning as Kenadie Cooper reached on an error, stole second and moved to third on a single by Ansley Gunter before scoring when Parkview turned a 4-6-3 double play.

The Lady Indians closed the scoring with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Byars reached on a pinch hit single, advanced to second as Olivia Cook reached on a walk and scored as Kylie Ferguson came off the bench and lined a double.

Cook, who moved to third on the Ferguson double, recorded the final tally of the contest on a wild pitch.

Meanwhile, Holmes attempted to pitch the second straight perfect game and third in five contests and appeared to be accomplishing the task as retired eight of the first nine batters on strikeouts and retiring that batter on a pop back to her.

Her attempt at perfection ended as Parkview catcher Erica Marlette reached first on an infield error with two outs in the top of the sixth.

The no-hitter was still intact until a 1-2 offering to Kyla Turner with two outs in the top of the seventh inning fell harmlessly to the ground in left field to end a string of 13 hitless innings tossed by the EC staff.

Holmes was unfazed after the single as she retired Ashleigh Lawson on strikes to give her 11 in the game as well as two putouts.

East Coweta 5, Lambert 0

Kelley Lynch was almost perfect as  she allowed
a bunt single in the second inning against Lambert.
Photo by Barbara Lecuona.

In the nightcap, Lynch lost her attempt at perfect and a no-hitter in the top of the second inning as Anna Jackson reached on a bunt single.

Jackson’s hit would be the only time a Lambert batter reached base as Lynch retired the next 18 batters to give her a streak in which she has retired 39 of 40 batters with 32 by strikeout.

As for scoring, Agan led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple and scored as beat a throw home in a close play.

Carmen Prior stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before Lynch reached on a walk and Cooper followed with an RBI single to right field.

The final run of the frame for EC came as courtesy runner sole home on the front end of a double steal as Cooper took second.

The final runs of the game came as Caroline Lively singled and courtesy runner Hanna Miller was able to advance to second on a wild pitch before moving to third on a groundout by Ashleigh Griffin.

Another wild pitch allowed Miller to score and after Agan singled and stole a base, she came home on a throwing error by the Lambert third baseman.

Agan was 2-for-3 in the game with two runs scored in the contest.

NOTE: In a contest between Parkview and Lambert, Parkview as a 5-4 winner as they scored twice in the top of the sixth inning after trailing 4-3.

The Lady Panthers (8-8) scored twice in the top of the second while the Lady Longhorns (7-9) scored once in the bottom of the frame and three times in the third.

Parkview cut the deficit to 4-3 in the top of the fifth before taking the lead in the sixth.