Panthers get better of NS in 8 innings

Perry High scratched across the go-ahead run in the top of the eight inning, and Sabrina Doucette struck out two batters with the tying run on third base in the bottom half Friday at Northside High School. While making up a rainout from Sept. 3, the Panthers of coach Lorne Tucker took the non-region matchup with the Eagles 5-4.

Doucette pitched four of the eight innings in relief of Mattie Hamilton. She hit a batter, Mya Hill, in the home eighth but afterwards recorded two of her four whiffs overall. Northside out-hit the Panthers 9 to 5, but the home team had four errors. Those would prove most costly when Perry put the lead run up with the international tie-breaker rule in effect (last batter of the seventh on second base).

Sarah Smith pitched all eight innings for coach Meredith Belcher. She struck out five. Smith also worked around some of those defensive mistakes, like when Hamilton doubled with two outs and nobody on base in the top of the first.

Northside threw a pick-off throw away, and Hamilton tried to score. Left fielder Jaliyah Lynch sent the softball back in to catcher Taylor Sheffield in time for the third out.

Sheffield, in the second inning, would also throw out a would-be base stealer at second base. This was another tough inning for Smith where she walked the leadoff hitter (who was then thrown out) and saw Courtney Winston strike out but reach as the third strike got away from Sheffield. Amber Garrett singled, and Perry had two in scoring position.

It remained a 0-0 game, though, with Smith striking out two more.

The Eagles grabbed the first lead, 1-0, in the home second. Ashley Calhoun went to the plate with two outs and a runner on second base. She grounded a single up the middle earning her first of two RBI for the game.

Smith issued leadoff walks in three straight innings, but only in the third did the Panthers capitalize. With a runner on third and one out in the third, Sammy Gidney – who also drove home two runs – grounded out and tied the score 1-1.

Lynch and Cierra White singled in the Eagle third. Callie Bookout, with one out, drilled an RBI double to left. Gidney’s throw to Garrett at the plate was ruled in time to retire White and keep the score 2-1.

Northside went ahead 3-1 in the fourth as Hamilton walked the first two Eagles and threw a wild pitch. That set up Calhoun to drive home the run on a sharp grounder to first base.

Tucker is still without the services of Kaley Sikes as a pitcher and first baseman. Coming through with a key leadoff hit was Friday’s first baseman, Sammi Smith. McKenzie Anderson, at No. 9 in the order and playing second base, also singled.

Doucette was put on base intentionally, but the small-ball game worked in Perry’s favor with RBI outs by both Gidney and Hamilton.

Keeley Winston also hit the ball on the ground (second base), but she beat the throw to first. Doucette scored for 4-3 Panthers.

Doucette maintained the lead in her first inning in the circle despite consecutive hits by Sheffield and White. Both were stranded in scoring position.

Calhoun, though, singled with one out in Northside’s sixth-inning turn. With two outs and a 1-2 count, Lynch ripped a double to right-center tying the score 4-4. Even Ingram in right field began a relay that would retire Lynch at third.

The Panthers had the only seventh-inning threat, Gidney reaching base on a bunt to put runners on the corners. Smith recorded the next two outs, one on a first-pitch pop-up.

VETERANS TOURNEY ACTION

The Veterans High softball club went 5-0 over the weekend playing a tournament held in Watkinsville.

Avery Lamb had two complete games. She struck out 10 as the Warhawks topped Bryan County 7-2. She also threw a five-hitter, a 5-0 shutout of Brookwood where Katlyn Winner batted home two runs.

Kaylee Albritton also won two games from the circle. She struck out seven in seven and had three hits and two RBI as her team beat Lowndes 6-4. The last game was against Heritage-Catoosa, and Veterans won 6-3 as Albritton fanned seven more and Sierra Stella drove home two.

With a five-run seventh inning, Veterans beat Woodward Academy by five, 9-4. Melissa Cox was credited with three RBI.

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