A shutout start for Rockmart in playoffs
Lady Jackets hosting Banks County in second round double header today
The Lady Jackets softball team is off to a fast start in defense of their state title.
After easily winning two games against the Douglass-Atlanta Lady Astros in the first round of state playoffs, Rockmart is on the path to Columbus and will be facing the Banks County Lady Leopards next.
Rockmart hosted Douglass at home on last Tuesday on Oct. 9, and won out their first game with a final score of 20-0 and the second with 23-0.
To open the first game, senior pitcher Emily Loveless struck out three Astros. With Rockmart up to bat, Douglass’s pitcher struggled to throw a fair pitch, allowing eight batters to walk during the first inning.
The Lady Jackets never eased up on the Douglass team that got off to a slow start. Rockmart’s offense was powered by Emma Evans’s grand slam as well as two home runs, one by each Caroline Conring and Kinsey Jones. Loveless added four RBI by hitting a double and a triple.
It was tough for the Lady Astros
to earn three outs against the Rockmart, but they did so by catching a trio of fly balls.
In the second inning, Loveless again struck the order, with no hits on her pitches by two of the batters.
In order for them to gain experience, head coach Steve Luke gave some of the younger ladies on the team a chance to play during the second and third inning, and they did not miss a beat.
Emilie Register struck out three Lady Astro batters with no hits on any of her pitches, ending the first game due to the mercy rule.
The events of the second game were similar to the first, allowing the Jackets to practice fundamentals before facing Banks County, who Luke views as a tough team.
“The girls are eager, and I think they’re right where they need to be right now,” Luke said.
Luke said the next game will be a “challenge.”
In their first round of playoffs, Bremen battled against Banks County, splitting the first set of games and winning on the second day of play.
Rockmart will host Banks County after they won a game 3 14-0 over Bremen after a split double header then waited for weather to clear to finish out last week in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael.
Now Rockmart faces Banks County for the second round of playoffs on today (Wednesday, Oct. 17), with the first game starting at 5 p.m.