Lady Hawks lose, miss playoffs
L-E in postseason for first time since 2014
Liberty-Eylau wrapped up the regular season by ending Pleasant Grove’s playoff hopes.
The Lady Leopards are in the softball postseason for the first time since 2014, and the Lady Hawks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011 after L-E posted an 8-3 win Tuesday at Lady Hawk Field, spoiling Senior Night for PG’s lone senior.
Bella Gunderson scattered seven hits, struck out four, walked two and hit one to earn the pitching win for Liberty-Eylau, which took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Maddie Horn absorbed the loss for the Hawks, who cut their deficit to 3-2 in the third when Khadijah Oritola hammered a solo home run. Oritola was the senior honored before the game for PG.
“We had two starters out, so we were missing two big sticks, and I was proud for our girls to step up,” Liberty-Eylau coach Todd Tipton said. “We made some errors in the field, routine errors that we can’t make in the playoffs. We hit the ball well, played small-ball well and ran bases well. We hope to be at full strength for our first playoff game.”
With injuries shaking up the Leopards’ lineup and defense, M.J. Coleman led off the game with a single to center. Keeley Norris legged out a bunt single, and Tori Foster beat out
an infield hit for an RBI.
Gunderson followed a double steal with a 2-run single to left-center to make it 3-0 before Pleasant Grove settled down to thwart any more damage in the first.
Pleasant Grove left a runner at second in the first, but a leadoff walk led to a run. After a pair of groundouts, Presley Hargrove grounded a single to left for the RBI. Kaylee Kelley also had a 2-out single before a ball in right-center was chased down by center fielder Norris to end the rally.
Oritola sent the first pitch she saw deep over the wall in left field in the third, but the Leopards added to their cushion in the top of the fifth.
Norris beat out the throw for a leadoff infield hit, and Gunderson reached on a 1-out error, which allowed Norris to score. Tyrah Venable and Kayla Norris added bunt singles, and McKayla Power dropped an RBI hit into shallow right.
Gunderson had another 2-out, 2-run single in the sixth for L-E, and another run came home on a misplayed slow roller.
Bre Jones singled to start the Hawks’ fifth and raced around to third on a throwing error. Oritola’s sac fly made it 5-3.
“We fought until the end, and I’m proud of them for that,” Pleasant Grove coach Becca Collom said. “We kept battling and battling, and a couple of times I thought we could break it through but we didn’t get the bounce. We hit it hard right back at them, and they make the play. We hit it in the hole, and they make the play. Kudos to L-E because they played a good game, and our girls kept fighting.
“For a young team, I can’t ask for anything more. We got better, and hopefully we learn from it, we grow from it and come out on the other side of it next year.”
Gunderson was 2 for 4 with 4 RBI for the Leopards, who took third in District 14-4A, Coleman and Keeley Norris were both 3 for 5, and Venable and Kayla Norris added two hits each.
Oritola was 1 for 2 with her homer and had 2 RBI for Pleasant Grove, and Hanna Snyder was 2 for 4 with a double.
Paris plays at Atlanta today after wet fields postponed the game Tuesday. Paris trails Atlanta by one game for fourth place.