After falling short in Game 1, Lady Phoenix dig deep to keep season alive with victory
— Sonoraville wasn’t ready to hit the road just yet, as the Lady Phoenix and the Lady Leopards split their first two games of a first-round state tournament matchup on Wednesday.
Banks County hosted Sonoraville (17-14) for the final game of the series on Thursday as both teams fought to keep their seasons alive. (For details on that game, see Wednesday’s Calhoun Times or visit www. Prepcentralonline. com.)
Here’s a recap of both games on Wednesday:
GAME 1
The Leopards, led by senior pitcher Mallory Parson, got off to a fast start against their 5AAA foes and finished off the win by a 3-2 score with a run in the final inning.
Banks County freshman slugger Jaycie Bowen nailed a homer in the bottom of the second inning, putting the first run of the game on the board.
They struck again in the bottom of the third when Parson made it home on a double by Bowen.
Parson found herself trapped between home and third, but her quickness and agility helped her slide head-first into home plate while avoiding a would-be tag.
The Lady Leopards had the bases loaded following their second score, but Sonoraville pitcher Kristen Davis managed to close out the inning without any further damage.
The Lady Phoenix closed the gap to one run in the top of the fifth when Harleigh Chastain drove Erin Whitlock home on a double to center field. Whitlock got to second on a Banks County error and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Both pitchers blanked the opposition in the sixth inning, but Sonoraville battled back to tie things up in the top of the seventh.
Whitlock singled and stole second on the following pitch. Chastain then advanced Whitlock to third on a groundout. With two outs and a full count, Abby Connally stepped up to the plate and smashed a line drive right just out of reach of the Lady Leopard’s third baseman.
Whitlock made it home to tie things up at 2-2, before Parson closed out the inning on a Sonoraville ground out.
In the top of the seventh, Banks only needed to put one run on the board to close out the contest and the Leopards did just that. Parson opened the inning with a single before stealing second and third while Morgan Rylee was at the plate.
After Rylee was walked, junior Kelyn Parson stepped up to the plate and ended the game with a walk-off
single.
GAME 2
The Lady Phoenix took advantage of several Lady Leopards’ mishaps in the third inning to give them a definitive 4-0 win in the second game of a doubleheader.
With primary Leopard pitcher Parson resting her arm, freshman Bowen took the circle to start the game.
Whitlock, who was 4for-6 on the day, singled to start the bottom of the first and subsequently stole second and third. Shortstop Chastain hit her second double of the day as she drove Whitlock in to give Sonroaville a 1-0 lead.
Parson resumed her duties in the circle midway through the top of the second inning, but took a while to get warmed up.
The top batters for the Phoenix showed up again in the bottom of the third as Whitlock and Chastain both singled to get things going. Whitlock scored on a Connally double, while Chastain advanced to third.
Both runners ended up coming home on wild pitches as the Lady Leopards shot themselves in the foot en route to a 4-0 deficit.
Thaley Jackson took over pitching duties for Sonoraville in Game 2 and held the Lady Leopards off the scoreboard for four innings before being relieved by Davis. Davis was nearly perfect in the circle for the final three innings, blanking Banks County and sealing a 4-0 Phoenix victory to force the decisive Game 3.
The Lady Phoenix were attempting to advance to the second round for the first time in program history. They’ve earned a State Tournament berth each of the last two seasons, and once previously, but have never made it past the first round.
The winner of the SonoravilleBanks County series will advance to face Westside- Augusta in the second round after their sweep of Central Macon on Wednesday in their first-round series at home.