Ferguson has strong day at Home Plate in "designated" wins for EC

Photos courtesy of Barbara Lecuona 

Kylie Ferguson had a strongFriday night at Home Plate as she helped lead East Coweta
in wins over Starr's Mill and Hampton. The junior had four hits, scored three runs and had an RBI

PEACHTREE CITY-Kylie Ferguson definitely earned the position “Designated Player” as the junior had an impact on two games Friday night in wins for the East Coweta Lady Indians over Starr’s Mill and Hampton at the Home Plate baseball complex.

In game one, Ansley Gunter lined a single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning that scored Ferguson from third to give the Lady Indians a 3-2 victory over the Starr's Mill Lady Panthers.

In the second game, Ferguson had two hits, scored two runs and had an RBI in a 5-3 win over the Hampton Lady Hornets.

The two wins gave the Lady Indians an 11-0 record with road games against the Northgate Lady Vikings on Monday and the Whitewater Lady Wildcats on Wednesday.

In the opening game, losing pitcher Lillie Backes retired the two first two batters of the frame and Ferguson followed by lining a single to center field.

Against Starr's Mill and Hampton, Jaliyah Holmes recorded 13 strikeouts
in eight and two-third innings in the  pitching circle..

A stolen base and an advancement to third on a groundout allowed Gunter to come to plate and on a 3-2 offering, the senior first baseman dunked a single in front of the center fielder for the winning run.

The Lady Indians took the lead with two outs in the bottom of the third inning as Lilly Agan singled and advanced to second on an error before scoring ahead of a double by Ferguson who would score the second run on a double by Kenadie Cooper.

That would be the only dent for Backes who had EC batters baffled as she recorded 13 strikeouts in the game and allowed seven hits.

Meanwhile, Jaliyah Holmes was in control for the Lady Indians as she was breezing through the first six innings as she recorded 10 strikeouts and allowed two hits in that span.

However, Holmes began to have problems in the top of the seventh after retiring the first batter Paige Andrews walked and Reagan Turner followed with a single.

Kalin Blinstrub doubled and Julia singled to tie the game at 2-2 before Holmes was replaced by Aniston Wright.

Wright got out of further trouble by retiring Ashley Sikes on strikes to end the inning.

In the top of the eighth inning, Wright showed mental toughness as she faced two runners on base with one out.

A flyball to Agan in center field and a swinging strikeout would strand the runner and give the Lady Indians a chance to win.

In the second game, the Lady Indians scored twice in the bottom of the first inning as Cooper reached on a two out double and came around with the first run as the result of a pair of wild pitches.

Gunter walked and scored the second run of the frame on a double by Ashleigh Griffin.

Griffin went 2-for-3 at the plate against the Lady Hornets.

The Lady Indians added to the lead in the bottom of the second inning when Caroline Lively was hit by a pitch and after the second out of the frame was recorded, Agan hit a single to left field that scored courtesy runner Eliza Kuhne who had stolen second base.

Aniston Wright was the winning pitcher in both games at Home Plate.
She pitched an inning and one-third in relief against Starr's Mill
and tossed five innings in a quality start against Hampton.

An error by the Hampton left fielder allowed Agan to advance around the bases to third and eventually score on a double by Ferguson.

The Lady Hornets cut into the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning but a pair of force plays to Lady Indian third baseman Olivia Cook negated a larger rally.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Ferguson was “designated” to help the offense as she reached on a leadoff single then stole second before a pair of wild pitches brought her home.

Through five innings, Wright was giving EC quality innings but was running out of gas in the top of the sixth inning as she surrendered a leadoff double to Makenzie Sapp in the top of the sixth before she was replaced by Holmes.

Sapp would steal third and on the lay, the ball was mishandled allowing an unearned run to score but Holmes was unfazed as retired the side on strikeouts.

Holmes would retire the side in order in the top of the seventh inning to record the save and give Wright her second victory of the day.

Starr’s Mill 7, Hampton 6

The Lady Panthers recovered in a win over the Lady Hornets despite the efforts of Skylar Trahan who recorded her 500^th career strikeout and hit a two-run home run.

Starr’s Mill scored twice in the top of the first, once in the second and once in the third before Hampton scored twice in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Lady Panthers scored twice in the top of the sixth inning but the Lady Hornets came back in the bottom of the frame when Trahan hit her home run.

Starr’s Mill added a run in the top of the seventh inning but Hampton came back in the bottom of the frame as Tyler Ellison hit a two-run homer.

In seven innings, Trahan had 11 strikeouts.