EC defeats North Cobb and Mother Nature in playoff series

SHARPSBURG-Mother Nature did battle against East Coweta Lady Indians head coach Franklin Deloach, several assistants as well as parents and other volunteers Tuesday night in order to complete their first round AAAAAAA playoff series against the North Cobb Lady Warriors.

This time around, the purple and gold clad people were the victors and the series was completed and the Lady Indians came away with a two-game sweep.

In game one, Kelley Lynch and Jaliyah Holmes combined on a two hitter while Ansley Gunter, Caison Byars and Carmen Prior had two hits apiece in a 10-0 five inning contest while an 11-run third inning in between a pair of rain stoppages led to a 16-0 three inning win.

The Lady Indians improved to 26-2 on the season and will face either Colquitt County or Cherokee who will play next week. 
The Lady Warriors, the number four seed from Region 3-AAAAAAA finished their season with a 10-20 record.

The Lady Indians took control of game one early as Lilly Agan led off the bottom of the first inning by reaching on an error and scoring on a triple by Prior.

After a walk to Lynch and a groundout, Gunter followed with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Prior from third and Byars followed with an RBI single that brought courtesy runner Jaliyah Holmes home with the third and final run of the inning.

After a scoreless second inning, the Lady Indians batted around as 13 batters went to the plate and seven came home.

Lynch and Kenadie Cooper had consecutive doubles to account for a run while singles by Gunter, Byars and Griffin along with a sacrifice fly to left by Olivia Cook led to a pair.

A two run single by Prior and a sacrifice fly to center field by Cooper capped off the frame.

After a perfect three innings in which she retired all nine batters on strikeouts, Lynch moved to shortstop and Holmes took over and managed to also keep the Lady Warriors scoreless in the final two frames.

In the second game, each team threatened to get on the scoreboard with runners on base but Tessah McAllister and Aniston Wright were able to get the third out to end the first inning.

McAllister was not as lucky in the top of the second inning as the Lady Indians scored five runs in the frame to take the lead.

With one out, Ashleigh Griffin walked and Cook followed by drilling a 2-2 offering over the left fence for a two-run home run to give the Lady Indians the lead.

Singles by Taylor and Agan led to another run as Prior hit a sacrifice fly to center field and after an intentional walk to Lynch, Cooper made the Lady Warriors pay as she drilled a two-run double to right that scored two runs.

Next came the top of third that lasted a long time as the game was stopped twice.

The frame started with a walk to Gunter, a hit batter and two more walks that g ave EC a 10-0 lead and led to a pitching change by NC.

After the change, the Lady Indians added to the total with a two run single by Prior who would score on a wild pitch and Cooper had an RBI single to increase the margin to 13-0 when the rain came and play was stopped.

A feverish effort by Coachload and a cast of thousands to make the field playable was underway and after a delay, the umpires returned to the field and play resumed.

Gunter was hit by a pitch and Byars followed with a single with two errors on the play to increase the lead to the game’s final margin.

Wright retired the first two batters in the bottom of third inning before allowing a walk and ending the contest with another strikeout to end the game and the series.