LaFayette gets an early leg up in the region standings
The season may only be a little less than two weeks old, but LaFayette head coach Glen Woodard likes the view from where his team currently sits.
The LaFayette Lady Ramblers, who went 2-1 at last weekend’s Model Lady Blue Devil Classic in Rome, including a non-region victory over Southeast Whitfield, began the week 2-0 in Region 6-4A play.
They handled the Lady Raiders from Dalton again this past Tuesday before a home win over Pickens on Thursday.
LaFayette 8, Southeast 3
The Lady Ramblers got six strong innings from senior pitcher Jordan Keith in Tuesday’s win. Keith scattered four hits and allowed just one walk in six innings of work. She gave up just two earned runs and finished with eight strikeouts.
Ashton Stalling worked the seventh, walking one and giving up one unearned run.
Megan Wilson, Kayleigh Goff, Madison Harris and Mackenzie Hogue had two hits each with Wilson, Goff and Harris all recording doubles. Wilson, Harris and Hogue each had one RBI.
Sydney Adkins had a hit and drove in a run. Madison Pettigrew finished with two RBIs, while Nicky Yancy also had one hit.
LaFayette 6, Pickens 3
The Orange-andBlack made it four straight wins two nights later as they doubled up the visiting Nettes from Jasper. The win allowed the Lady Ramblers (4-1) to stay tied with Gilmer as the only teams still unbeaten in Region 6-4A play going into the week.
It was a big night for Goff as the senior second baseman collected two hits and drove in half of the Lady Ramblers’ runs.
She ripped a triple in the bottom of the first to plate Yancy, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before being bunted to second. Goff would score on a throwing error at third at the end of the play to make it 2-0.
Harris would drive in a run in the third, but Pickens would tie things up with a threespot in the top of the fourth.
However, Goff would put her team back in front for good an inning later.
Yancy and Jada Allmon would set the table with back-to-back singles and Goff would send a pitch off the wall in left-center to score both runs. Katie Cook would add an RBI-hit in the sixth to cap the scoring.
Senior pitcher Hannah Blevins threw the first five innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Pettigrew was called on in the sixth for a two-inning save. She allowed two hits on the night.
Pettigrew also went 2 for 3 with a double. Yancy was 2 for 2 and scored three times, while Hogue also had a hit in the win.
“It is nice to be at the top of standings, or at least tied at the top, but it’s still early,” Woodard said. “We’ve got some tough games coming up, so we just have to keep getting better as we go.”
LaFayette was scheduled to play at Northwest Whitfield on Tuesday before hosting Ridgeland on Thursday night. They will face Murray County, Christian Heritage, Gordon Lee and Armuchee at the Dalton Lady Cat Invitational this weekend before wrapping up a tough 10-day span with a road game at Gilmer and a home date with Heritage.