Lady Indians split in Ram Classic

Jada Savage retired the first nine batters in the Lady Indians 8-2 win over
the Duluth Wildcats. She pitched five innings allowing one hit and recordung
eight strikeouts. Photo by Stuart Crosby

LILBURN-A late September visit Friday to Gwinnett County garnered a split for the East Coweta Lady Indians in games against Duluth and Parkview in the Ram Classic at the home of the latter team.
In game one, the Lady Indians struck early to support the pitching of Jada Savage, Camryn Horton and McKenna Holmes to defeat the Duluth Wildcats 8-2.
In game two, most of the Lady Indians were hit a somebody as the Parkview Panthers came away with a 5-2 win in a game that ended in six innings due to a time limit.
By virtue of the split, the Lady Indians will take a 19-5 record to their Monday evening encounter with the Alexander Cougars in Douglasville.
The scoring in the opener against Duluth began in the bottom of the first inning when Madison Duffel led off with a bunt single and eventually scoured when Mallory Lumpkins doubled.
With Emma Elrod at the plate, Lumpkins was able to advance on consecutive wild pitches plateward for the second EC run and Elrod reached first on a walk.

Emma Elrod rounds second base in the game
against Duluth. Elrod was 3-for-6 with two runs
scored and had two RBIs in 
the two games. Photo by Paula Stubbs

After Elrod advanced to second base on a passed ball, Kip Heggood lined a 1-2 offering to left field for single that scored the former and the lead was 

3-0.
Heggood eventually advanced to second based on a passed ball and scored the final run of the frame with two outs on a wild pitch.
After Savage breezed through the top of the second inning by striking out the side, the Lady Indians added to the lead as Payton Roberson reached on a one out walk and advanced to second before scoring on an infield error that allowed Lumpkins to reach base.
Lumpkins, who reached second on the error, came home on an RBI single by Elrod.
Meanwhile, Savage was in control in the circle as she retired the first nine batters of the game as Saria Simmons reached on a single to center field in the top of the fourth inning.
The Lady Indians gave her a 7-0 lead as a pair of force plays allowed Duffel came home.
After five innings in which she allowed the lone single, walked one batter and recorded eight strikeouts, Savage was replaced on the circle by Horton.
Horton would surrender a run on back-to-back doubles to open the sixth inning and the second Wildcat run with one out in the frame.
The Lady Indians recorded their final tally of the game Bailee Echols led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single and scored on a two out single by Lumpkins.
Holmes took over in the top of the seventh inning and retired the side in order.
The Lady Indians threatened to take control early in the second game as Lumpkins and Elrod reached on one out singles.
After a force play, Shallyn Olszowy drilled an offering over the left field fence for what appeared a three-run home run.
However, the umpire ruled the ball went to the left of the foul pole and after some discussion, she would return to the plate and was retired on strikes.
The Panthers responded by scoring a single run in the bottom of the first inning, but the Lady Indians responded with the tying run in the top of the second inning.
After the first two batters were retired in the frame, Echols and Roberson reached by walk and Duffel followed with a RBI single to left field.
Lumpkins followed by hitting a flyball to center field, however, it was caught and the frame ended.
The Panthers assumed the lead for good in the bottom of the frame as they scored twice and added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
The Lady Indians scored a run as Elrod singled, stole second and came home on a single by Olszowy.
Maggie Stubbs started for EC and came out with two outs in the bottom of the third inning after being hit by a line drive.
Holmes took over in the circle and pitched the final two and one-third innings of the game. 
 

Gopie has five RBI day in EC win

Gaby Gopie had two hits and
five RBIs in Tuesday's win.
Photo by Paula Stubbs

SHARPSBURG-The junior varsity version of the East Coweta Lady Indians proved their offensive might Tuesday night as a seven run second inning led to a 13-0 win over the Ola Lady Mustangs.

The four inning win at home improved the Lady Indians' record to 13-1. 

Gaby Gopie opened the scoring for EC as her sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning led to the first run as Kate Miller scored third after the latter reached on a triple.

In the second inning, the Lady Indians began their barrage as Addie Howell led off with a walk, stole second and moved to third on a single by Hayden Chaffin before Rylee Gordy drove both home with a double to left.

An infield single by McKenna Holmes and a walk to winning pitcher Camryn Horton loaded the bases for Miller who reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Gordy to score.

A single by Gopie scored Holmes and after Jenna Helmly reached on a walk, Ola pitcher Gracie Whitfield appeared to have stopped the scoring as she retired the next two batters.

However, the hitting would resume as Howell batted for the second time in the frame and responded with a two-run single to center field.

Jenna Helmly scored twice Tuesday in the win.
Photo by Paula Stubbs

The margin was more than enough for Horton who benefitted from a double play to escape a bases loaded jam in the top of the third inning.

The Lady Indians added to their lead in the bottom of the third inning when Holmes and Horton singled while Miller reached on an error to load the bases.

Gopie cleared the bases with a double and walked off the field with five RBIs in the game.

A walk to Helmly was followed by a force play, but a pair of runs followed as an infield error allowed Helmly and McKinley Johnson to score the final runs of the game.

In the circle, Horton was effective as she allowed four hits while recording five strikeouts.

Offensively, Miller had two hits and scored three runs while Gopie also had two hits and Helmly scored twice.

Next opponent for EC will be the McIntosh Lady Chiefs in a junior varsity game Monday afternoon at 5:30 before a doubleheader Wednesday at home against Bremen.   

ECJV sweeps in Heard County Tournament

East Coweta pitcher Camryn Horton was the winning
pitcher in the Lady Indians' 5-2 win over Heard County
in the Lady Braves junior varsity tournament.
Photo by Stuart Crosby

FRANKLIN-The junior varsity version of the East Coweta Lady Indians had to brave the heat and several teams to come away with a three-game sweep in the Lady Braves Invitational at Heard County High School.

In the first game, the Lady Indians spotted the home team a run in the bottom of the first inning before scoring in the fourth to come away with a 5-2 win over the Heard County Lady Braves.

The Lady Indians defeated the Harris County Lady Tigers 3-2 as Avery Batten had a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning and McKenna Holmes scattered seven hits over five innings in an 8-0 shutout over the Villa Rica Lady Wildcats.

The record stands at 9-1 for the Lady Indians who will travel to Zebulon to face the Pike County Pirates in the first of four games scheduled during the week.

After the Lady Braves scored a run in the bottom of the first in the opener, the Lady Indians tried to answer in the top of the second inning as they loaded the bases with one out.

However, an infield fly and a strikeout ended the frame and the scoring opportunity.

The Lady Indians had another opportunity and made it pay off as they scored all of their runs in the contest.

Winning pitcher Camryn Horton led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a throwing error.
With Kate Miller reaching first on the error and Gaby Gopie at the plate, the Lady Braves' pitcher threw a wild pitch and both runners advanced a base.
Gopie walked to load the bases for Jenna Helmly who hit a two run single to give the Lady Indians a 2-1 lead.
A walk to Hayden Chaffin reloaded the bases and three wild pitches followed with three runs and a 5-1 EC lead.
Horton ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth as Heard mounted a comeback but the latter scored one run as the inning and the game ended. She allowed three hits and recorded four strikeouts.

Baylor Mikell reaches high at first base to receive
a throw in one of the three games played.
Photo by Paula Stubbs

After a productive lunch break, the Lady Indians surrendered a pair of runs in the top of the second inning and it appeared the Lady Tigers had the game in hand as EC batters had trouble at the plate.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Indians rallied as Maddie Linden reached on an error and moved to second on a bunt single by Kate Walker.

With one out, Helmly drilled a flyball to deep center field allowing Linden to come home with a run and Miller to waltz into third with the tying run.

With the tying and winning runs at the plate, Batten overcame an 0-2 count and drilled a ground ball to right field allowing Helmly to race home with the winning run.

Natalie Thompson started the game for EC and allowed four hits in five innings and recorded eight strikeouts.

Rylee Gordy pitched a flawless sixth inning with strikeout and was the winning.   

McKenna Holmes was the winning 
pitcher in the Lady Indians' 8-0 win
over Villa Rica. Photo by Paula Stubbs

The nightcap belonged to Holmes in the circle and a hitting attack that started in the first inning as Walker was hit by a pitch, stole second, advanced to third on a fielding error and scored when Helmly grounded out to third.

The Lady Indians added a run in the bottom of the second inning as Baylor Mikell opened with a walk and eventually scored from third on a sacrifice fly by Addy Howell.

 In the bottom of the third inning, all doubt was erased as EC scored six runs to put the game in cruise control.

Hailee Vance doubled and moved to third on a single by Brooklynn Fisher before coming home when Miller was retired on a close groundout.

Gopie followed with an RBI single and after Helmly hammered a double, Batten drilled a single that scored courtesy runner Sydney Stubbs and Helmly to widen the lead.

Batten came home on a double by Mikell who scored the final run of the game when Howell grounded out to second.

The 8-0 margin was more than enough for Holmes who had very little trouble in the final two innings.

Howell and Batten each had two RBIs in the game while Mikell scored two runs.

In the tournament Helmly was 4-for-6 with four RBIs, Batten had four RBIs and Walker scored three runs.