EC wins region tournament, top seed with North Cobb on the horizon

Created by Barbara Lecuona

SHARPSBURG-In a game that featured solid pitching and key defensive plays, the East Coweta Lady Indians came away with the Region 2-AAAAAAA tournament championship Thursday after a 5-1 victory over the Newnan Lady Cougars.
The Lady Indians improved to 24-2 on the season and will have the region's top seed when they begin defense of their state championship next Tuesday in a best-of-three series against North Cobb next Tuesdaivcy.
The Lady Cougars, who defeated the Campbell Lady Spartans 8-0 in an elimination game, will carry the region's number two seed and a 14-6 record into the playoffs when they host Kennesaw Mountain.
The Lady Indians threatened to score early against Lady Cougar starter Ansley Houston after one out in the bottom of the first inning as Carmen Prior singled and Kelley Lynch reached on an intentional walk.
However, Houston repeated her Houdini act from the previous evening to induce a 6-3 double play to end the frame.
The Lady Indians managed to get on the board in the bottom of the second inning as Ansley Gunter led off the frame by drilling an 0-2 offering from Houston over the left field fence for a solo home run.
With two outs in the inning and Olivia Cook on second and Katie Taylor on first, Lilly Agan singled to center field.
Cook attempted to score from second but Newnan center fielder Hailey Bloom threw a strike to catcher Alex Williams who applied a tag to Cook that ended the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, EC was able to add to the lead as Lynch and Gunter were intentionally walked before a two out single by Caison Byars scored courtesy runner Jaliyah Holmes.
The Lady Indians needed some two out magic in the bottom of the fourth inning to get on the board as Agan reached base on a single, stole second and came home on a single by Prior.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Lady Cougars had an achievement against Lynch as they scored a run after being shutout in previous starts.
KK Madrey singled and Bloom reached on a walk before Lynch recorded an out and surrendered a single to Danielle Curlle that scored Madrey.
On the play, Bloom was tagged out at the plate as Byars threw a strike to catcher Caroline Lively who applied the tag and Lynch ended the frame with a strikeout.
The Lady Indians added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the frame as Taylor and Agan had consecutive doubles with Prior recording an RBI single.
In the top of the seventh inning, Lynch allowed Williams to reach on a single but retired the next three batters on strikeouts to end the game.
Lynch allowed three hits and four walks while recording 15 strikeouts for EC while Houston allowed 11 hits, five runs and five walks (four intentional) for Newnan.
Agan and Prior each went 3-for-4 at the plate for EC.