LaFayette splits with Walker County foes
The LaFayette Lady Ramblers faced four local rivals in their first four contests of the 2021 season last week, winning one and losing two, while the outcome of the other is still yet to be determined.
LaFayette 5, LFO 5
After rain washed out their scheduled season-opener against Dade County last Monday, the Lady Ramblers’ first action of the year would be in their first Region 6-AAA contest of the year in Fort Oglethorpe.
But before a winner could be declared, Mother Nature decided to get into the act.
LaFayette scored three times in the top of the seventh inning to knot the game at 5-5 when the skies opened. The officials halted the game shortly thereafter and, due to the amount of rain that fell, the game could not be finished.
The Lady Ramblers first two runs came in the top of the sixth. Jaselyn Couch singled and eventually scored on a groundout by Haynie Jane Gilstrap and Gilstrap would later race home on a double by Suki Williams.
After LFO made it 5-2 in the bottom of the frame, LaFayette found a way to rally in the rain. Olivia Free singled and Jaiden Vinyard drew a walk. Then, following a strikeout, Couch battled through an eight-pitch at-bat before singling to load the bases. A passed ball would bring in a run to make it 5-3 and Raven Yancy delivered an RBI on a groundout. Then with two outs, Gilstrap laced an RBI-single to bring in the tying run.
The game will be resumed from the point it was suspended, but no decision on what day the game would be resumed had been made as of press time.
Gordon Lee 10, LaFayette 1
The Lady Ramblers got their first two runners on base against the Lady Trojans Wednesday evening in Chickamauga, but failed to score and they would not truly threaten again until the top of the fifth inning when Yancy came through with a single to score Alivia Hughes and cap the scoring for both teams.
Ava Brown was saddled with the loss for LaFayette. She allowed seven earned runs in four innings of work, finishing with one strikeout.
LaFayette 12, Ridgeland 2
One night later, Free gave up just two unearned runs in five innings in her high school debut in the circle and belted one of her team’s two homeruns as the Lady Ramblers picked up a fiveinning victory in Rossville.
Free’s homer came in the top of the fourth inning with LaFayette already in front, 6-1. The other blast came off the bat of Suki Williams, who launched a two-run shot in the top of the fifth after Hughes had scored the first run of the inning on a passed ball.
However, it was the second inning that did the most damage as LaFayette sent 11 batters to the plate with the first six reaching base successfully in a six-run frame.
Vinyard and Autumn Wells drew walks with the bases loaded to bring in runs. Couch plated the third run with an RBI-single.