Lady Panthers sweep away Madison County

Ridgeland senior Morgan Crawford belted three solo home runs in the Region 6-4A championship sweep of Northwest Whitfield last week and apparently word of Crawford’s Ruthian-like performance spread down to Danielsville, Georgia.

So much so that visiting Madison County put Crawford on base eight straight times on Wednesday via walks, either fully intentional or mostly intentional.

But trailing 10-1 in the top of the sixth inning of Game 2 and with the bases loaded, the Red Raiders had no base open to give to Ridgeland’s top power hitter and a decision had to be made - intentionally walk her again to bring in another run or gamble and finally give her a chance to swing the bat.

As it turns out, that one chance they gave her was the only pitch she needed as her bomb to straightaway centerfield put the final bit of polish on the Lady Panthers’ 1-0, 15-1 sweep of the Red Raiders in the opening round of the Class 4A state playoffs.

Crawford had admitted to being a little frustrated at the plate as she saw pitches go way outside virtually every time she dug in. But her eyes lit up when she realized she was finally going to get a pitch to hit near the end of the game

“I had seen one strike all day,” she explained. “But I knew they were probably going to pitch to me with bases loaded and two outs, so I was ready for it.”

Madison County (1516), a perennial state power with two state runner-up finishes to their credit, had already seen enough of Crawford in Game 1 as the senior shutdown the visitors with a no-hitter. A second-inning, twoout walk would be the only base runner the Red Raiders would have in the opener.

“The defense played so hard behind me and that first game was really a battle,” Crawford explained. “But we had never seen (Madison County) before so that first game really prepared us for the second game. We knew what to expect and we could just play our game after that.”

Ridgeland had just five hits against Red Raider starter Kelsey Wood in Game 1, but Wood also issued four walks and Madison County’s defense committed four errors in the first six innings.

Still, the Lady Panthers couldn’t take advantage as some base running blunders and a few uncanny defensive

breaks by Madison County kept the game scoreless as Ridgeland came to bat in the bottom of the seventh.

Kiera Foster got the rally going with a one-out single and after Crawford was intentionally walked, pinch hitter Haley Walker sent a ground ball to the Madison County second baseman. However, the ball was misplayed and a rushed throw to first sailed wide allowing Foster to speed home with the game winner.

Crawford struck out four in the near-perfect game, while Wood struck out one in 6.1 innings of work as she took the loss.

Wood would get the call again in Game 2, this time opposite Ridgeland senior Allison Wallin. The Lady Panthers, playing as the visiting team in the nightcap, would push home a run in the top of the first, but Wood would hang tough and the Ridgeland lead

would remain 1-0 going into the fourth.

But the Lady Panthers would build a five-run cushion with a four-run fourth inning and a clutch, two-out, two-run triple by Foster in the fifth broke the game open before Crawford’s grand slam in the sixth highlighted a seven-run frame.

“I think (Madison County) had a really good strategy (in Game 1) by not pitching to Morgan,” Richie Wood explained. “I also think some of our younger kids may have had some nerves, but once they got used to what was going on they started hitting the ball and making plays. Then everything started to open up and the wheels just sort of fell off for (Madison County).”

Foster had an enormous night with seven hits in eight official at-bats. She hit into one fielder’s choice and was hit by a pitch to reach base in all nine of her plate appearances. She finished with three RBI’s and four runs scored.

Haley Sandridge

was a double in four at-bats in Game 1, but went 3 for 4 in Game 2 with two singles, a double a walk and four runs scored. Grayson James had three RBI’s in the nightcap. Katie Davis had two hits in Game 2 and Katie Carruth scored twice in the final game. Walker and Wallin also were credited with one RBI each in Game 2.

Wallin gave up six hits, three coming in the fourth inning as Madison County’s lone run came on a throwing error. She got the win, striking out two and walking just one.

Wood also took the Game 2 loss for Madison County after being replaced in the fourth.

Ridgeland was scheduled to begin a second-round series on Tuesday at home against Woodward Academy after the War Eagles swept Upson-Lee, 5-3 and 5-3, in their firstround series. A series victory over Woodward would send the Lady Panthers to Columbus for the Elite Eight for the first time since the 2003 season.