Sports - Topics from August, 2017
Dodge County Middle School Lady Warriors kick off season
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge County Middle School (DCMS) Lady Warriors have kicked off their 2017 season. They started things off with a 5-5 tie against Bryan County. They turned things around with a 5-1 win over Reidsville.
The Lady Warriors opened region play with a big 10-9 win over West Laurens. Dodge then hit the road for the Stinger Classic in Hazlehurst. Dodge defeated Portal 3-0. They defeated Ebenezer 1-0. The Lady Warriors dropped a 7-6 decision to Mary Persons Middle School. They dropped a 5-1 game to Jeff Davis County and an 8-2 game to Ware County.
They returned to regular season play on Wednesday, as they defeated Vidalia 8-5. Dodge dropped a 7-4 game to Bleckley County. Here is a rundown of the statistics of those games.
In Reidsville, Jayci Yawn was one for two with one run batted in (RBI); Dylana Barton was one for two; Brooke Perdue had an RBI; Makiyah Roberson was one for two with one run scored; Skye Meadows had a walk and run scored and Reagan Graham had a walk and run scored.
Against Bryan County, Yawn had an RBI; Barton had two doubles; Roberson had two hits and two RBIs; Ava Rowland was two for three with a run scored; Meadows had an RBI; Ava Maxwell was one for one with an RBI and Carson Etheridge had a double with a run scored.
Against West Laurens, Yawn had a double; Barton had a double, two runs scored and two RBIs; Perdue had a triple and an RBI; Roberson had a single, a double, a triple and an RBI; Rowland had a double, a run scored and an RBI; JaiunaVae Pattillo had an RBI and Annie Jones had a single, two walks and two runs scored.
Against Portal, Jones had a single and an RBI; Meg Lewis had a single and a run scored; Pattillo had two RBIs and two walks; Rebecca Bowling had an RBI and Reagan Boney had a single and a run scored.
Against Mary Persons Middle School, Barton was one for three with an RBI and run scored; Perdue had a run scored; Roberson had a single and a run scored; Rowland had a single and an RBI; Maxwell had a single, a walk and a run scored; Etheridge had a single, walk, run scored and two RBIs and Jones had a single, a run scored and an RBI.
Against Jeff Davis, Rowland had a walk and a run scored.
Against Ware County, Meadows had a double, a walk and a run scored and Pattillo had two walks and a run scored.
Against Vidalia, Barton had a single and two runs scored; Rowland was three for four with a double and a run scored; Pattillo was two for four with two runs scored; Roberson was two for four with two runs scored and a triple; Maxwell was one for three with a run scored and Jones had a single.
Against Bleckley County, Yawn was one for three with a walk and a run scored; Barton was one for four with one RBI; Pattillo was two for four with a run scored and a triple and Jones was two for three with an RBI and two runs scored.
The Dodge County Middle School (DCMS) Lady Warriors have kicked off their 2017 season. They started things off with a 5-5 tie against Bryan County. They turned things around with a 5-1 win over Reidsville.
The Lady Warriors opened region play with a big 10-9 win over West Laurens. Dodge then hit the road for the Stinger Classic in Hazlehurst. Dodge defeated Portal 3-0. They defeated Ebenezer 1-0. The Lady Warriors dropped a 7-6 decision to Mary Persons Middle School. They dropped a 5-1 game to Jeff Davis County and an 8-2 game to Ware County.
They returned to regular season play on Wednesday, as they defeated Vidalia 8-5. Dodge dropped a 7-4 game to Bleckley County. Here is a rundown of the statistics of those games.
In Reidsville, Jayci Yawn was one for two with one run batted in (RBI); Dylana Barton was one for two; Brooke Perdue had an RBI; Makiyah Roberson was one for two with one run scored; Skye Meadows had a walk and run scored and Reagan Graham had a walk and run scored.
Against Bryan County, Yawn had an RBI; Barton had two doubles; Roberson had two hits and two RBIs; Ava Rowland was two for three with a run scored; Meadows had an RBI; Ava Maxwell was one for one with an RBI and Carson Etheridge had a double with a run scored.
Against West Laurens, Yawn had a double; Barton had a double, two runs scored and two RBIs; Perdue had a triple and an RBI; Roberson had a single, a double, a triple and an RBI; Rowland had a double, a run scored and an RBI; JaiunaVae Pattillo had an RBI and Annie Jones had a single, two walks and two runs scored.
Against Portal, Jones had a single and an RBI; Meg Lewis had a single and a run scored; Pattillo had two RBIs and two walks; Rebecca Bowling had an RBI and Reagan Boney had a single and a run scored.
Against Mary Persons Middle School, Barton was one for three with an RBI and run scored; Perdue had a run scored; Roberson had a single and a run scored; Rowland had a single and an RBI; Maxwell had a single, a walk and a run scored; Etheridge had a single, walk, run scored and two RBIs and Jones had a single, a run scored and an RBI.
Against Jeff Davis, Rowland had a walk and a run scored.
Against Ware County, Meadows had a double, a walk and a run scored and Pattillo had two walks and a run scored.
Against Vidalia, Barton had a single and two runs scored; Rowland was three for four with a double and a run scored; Pattillo was two for four with two runs scored; Roberson was two for four with two runs scored and a triple; Maxwell was one for three with a run scored and Jones had a single.
Against Bleckley County, Yawn was one for three with a walk and a run scored; Barton was one for four with one RBI; Pattillo was two for four with a run scored and a triple and Jones was two for three with an RBI and two runs scored.
Lady Indians win both region games against Dublin and Washington County
By Russ Ragan
It was a good news, bad news week for the Dodge County High Lady Indians Softball team. First, the bad news. They split the four games that they played over the week. The good news, however, is that they won the two that meant the most.
On Monday, they dropped a tough 6-5 game in extra innings at Telfair County. Tuesday, Dodge returned to region play and won a 5-0 decision over Dublin. Wednesday, Dodge stepped out of region play as they hosted West Laurens. Dodge dropped a tough 4-1 decision in a game that was 1-0 until the seventh inning. Thursday, they returned to region play and rolled to an easy 15-0 win at Washington County.
The Lady Indians return to region play this Thursday for a huge game at Bleckley County with a 5:30 p.m. start.
The Lady Indians jumped out to a quick start against Telfair County. They did a big chunk of the damage with two outs, as Jacey Dowdy singled home Abby Manning for a 2-0 lead. Sister Jade Dowdy singled home two more runs for a 4-0 Dodge lead after the top of the first.
The Lady Trojans got back in the game in the bottom of the first with a pair of unearned runs to cut the game to 4-2. Telfair tied the game in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer for a 4-4 game. Dodge would reclaim the lead in the top of the fifth, as Sara Lann would double home Manning for a 5-4 lead. Telfair would tie the game with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Jade Dowdy was strong through the first seven innings, as she allowed just two earned runs. Telfair would eventually win in extra innings with a score of 6-5 in the ninth.
Dodge returned to play on Tuesday against Dublin. Jade Dowdy was again the starter for the Lady Indians. She struck out a pair of batters in the first. Dodge would start the scoring in the second. Jacey Dowdy would double to left, and that would bring up Aniyah Black. The sophomore shortstop would hit a deep drive that would just get over the center field fence for a 2-0 Dodge lead.
Dowdy would then dominate on the mound. She would have eight strikeouts and only one hit through the first five innings. The Lady Indians would put the game away in the bottom of the fifth. Julianna Bellflower singled to lead off the inning. With one out, Lann would double home Bellflower for a 3-0 game. Jacey Dowdy would double home Manning and Lann for a 5-0 game. That would wrap up the scoring for a 5-0 final. Dowdy would wind up with a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and zero walks.
Freshman Linzy Bowen got the start of Wednesday against West Laurens. The Lady Raiders grabbed the lead in the second. They opened the inning with a pair of doubles for a 1-0 lead. Bowen would strike out a pair of batters to work out of the jam, leaving two runners on base.
Bowen continued to work out of jams in the fourth and fifth. The big escape was in the fifth. The Lady Raiders had runners on second and third with nobody out. Two fly balls and a ground out ended the inning, with the score remaining 1-0.
The Dodge offense just couldn’t get anything going, however. Dodge only had four hits and two walks through six innings. Bellflower had two hits and one of the walks. The Lady Raiders finally got the big hit in the seventh, as they picked up three runs with two outs for a 4-0 lead.
Dodge would make things interesting in the seventh. Logan White lead off the inning with a pinch-hit double. With one out, Jenna Hickman singled to center. Bellflower then got her third hit of the day; a double to left center that scored White for a 4-1 game. The Lady Raiders would hang on, as Manning’s line drive to right was caught on a dive for a 4-1 final.
The Lady Indians played their fourth game in four days, as they played Washington County. Bellflower singled and stole second base. She would score on a wild pitch for a 1-0 game. Black would have a three-run single that scored Manning, Lann and Europe Brown, for a 4-0 Dodge lead.
Jade Dowdy got the start for Dodge, and she struck out the side in the first inning, after she hit the first batter. It would be the only base runner for the Lady Hawks. Jenna Hickman doubled with one out in the second. Bellflower would follow with a single and she stole second. Both runners would score on wild pitches for a 6-0 Dodge lead.
The offense continued for Dodge in the third. Black singled to lead off, and she would score on a one out single from Amber Maxwell and Jenna Hickman for a 9-0 game. White singled home Bellflower for a 10-0 game.
Dodge would wrap up things in the fourth. Jacey Dowdy singled to lead off and she would score on Jade Dowdy’s single for an 11-0 game. Bellflower would get her fourth hit of the game to drive in Black for a 12-0 game. A single from Lann would drive in White to wrap up the scoring for a 15-0 final. Jade Dowdy had a no-hitter with seven strikeouts for the Lady Indians.
It was a good news, bad news week for the Dodge County High Lady Indians Softball team. First, the bad news. They split the four games that they played over the week. The good news, however, is that they won the two that meant the most.
On Monday, they dropped a tough 6-5 game in extra innings at Telfair County. Tuesday, Dodge returned to region play and won a 5-0 decision over Dublin. Wednesday, Dodge stepped out of region play as they hosted West Laurens. Dodge dropped a tough 4-1 decision in a game that was 1-0 until the seventh inning. Thursday, they returned to region play and rolled to an easy 15-0 win at Washington County.
The Lady Indians return to region play this Thursday for a huge game at Bleckley County with a 5:30 p.m. start.
The Lady Indians jumped out to a quick start against Telfair County. They did a big chunk of the damage with two outs, as Jacey Dowdy singled home Abby Manning for a 2-0 lead. Sister Jade Dowdy singled home two more runs for a 4-0 Dodge lead after the top of the first.
The Lady Trojans got back in the game in the bottom of the first with a pair of unearned runs to cut the game to 4-2. Telfair tied the game in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer for a 4-4 game. Dodge would reclaim the lead in the top of the fifth, as Sara Lann would double home Manning for a 5-4 lead. Telfair would tie the game with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Jade Dowdy was strong through the first seven innings, as she allowed just two earned runs. Telfair would eventually win in extra innings with a score of 6-5 in the ninth.
Dodge returned to play on Tuesday against Dublin. Jade Dowdy was again the starter for the Lady Indians. She struck out a pair of batters in the first. Dodge would start the scoring in the second. Jacey Dowdy would double to left, and that would bring up Aniyah Black. The sophomore shortstop would hit a deep drive that would just get over the center field fence for a 2-0 Dodge lead.
Dowdy would then dominate on the mound. She would have eight strikeouts and only one hit through the first five innings. The Lady Indians would put the game away in the bottom of the fifth. Julianna Bellflower singled to lead off the inning. With one out, Lann would double home Bellflower for a 3-0 game. Jacey Dowdy would double home Manning and Lann for a 5-0 game. That would wrap up the scoring for a 5-0 final. Dowdy would wind up with a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and zero walks.
Freshman Linzy Bowen got the start of Wednesday against West Laurens. The Lady Raiders grabbed the lead in the second. They opened the inning with a pair of doubles for a 1-0 lead. Bowen would strike out a pair of batters to work out of the jam, leaving two runners on base.
Bowen continued to work out of jams in the fourth and fifth. The big escape was in the fifth. The Lady Raiders had runners on second and third with nobody out. Two fly balls and a ground out ended the inning, with the score remaining 1-0.
The Dodge offense just couldn’t get anything going, however. Dodge only had four hits and two walks through six innings. Bellflower had two hits and one of the walks. The Lady Raiders finally got the big hit in the seventh, as they picked up three runs with two outs for a 4-0 lead.
Dodge would make things interesting in the seventh. Logan White lead off the inning with a pinch-hit double. With one out, Jenna Hickman singled to center. Bellflower then got her third hit of the day; a double to left center that scored White for a 4-1 game. The Lady Raiders would hang on, as Manning’s line drive to right was caught on a dive for a 4-1 final.
The Lady Indians played their fourth game in four days, as they played Washington County. Bellflower singled and stole second base. She would score on a wild pitch for a 1-0 game. Black would have a three-run single that scored Manning, Lann and Europe Brown, for a 4-0 Dodge lead.
Jade Dowdy got the start for Dodge, and she struck out the side in the first inning, after she hit the first batter. It would be the only base runner for the Lady Hawks. Jenna Hickman doubled with one out in the second. Bellflower would follow with a single and she stole second. Both runners would score on wild pitches for a 6-0 Dodge lead.
The offense continued for Dodge in the third. Black singled to lead off, and she would score on a one out single from Amber Maxwell and Jenna Hickman for a 9-0 game. White singled home Bellflower for a 10-0 game.
Dodge would wrap up things in the fourth. Jacey Dowdy singled to lead off and she would score on Jade Dowdy’s single for an 11-0 game. Bellflower would get her fourth hit of the game to drive in Black for a 12-0 game. A single from Lann would drive in White to wrap up the scoring for a 15-0 final. Jade Dowdy had a no-hitter with seven strikeouts for the Lady Indians.
Dodge County Lady Indians begin new season with wins
By Russ Ragan
The 2017 version of the Dodge County High School Lady Indians kicked off their softball season with a busy game week. The Lady Indians began their week with a region game against Southwest, Macon. Dodge had no trouble with the Lady Patriots with a 22-0 win. The game wasn’t nearly as close as the final might indicate. On Thursday, Dodge traveled to Macon to play Northeast. This one was much worse, as the Lady Indians took it by a 33-0 score. Dodge had to make five of the nine outs on purpose to get the game over.
The competition got a whole lot tougher over the weekend, as they traveled to Cordele to play in the Watermelon Invitational. On Friday, Dodge defeated Tattnall County, 10-0. In their second game, they defeated ECI 11-6.
The Saturday games were both tough ones. In the opener, Dodge edged Bainbridge 4-3. In the second contest, the Lady Indians dropped a 3-2 decision to Appling County. Today, (Wednesday), Dodge will host a good West Laurens team with a 5:30 p.m. start time.
I will be short and sweet with my rundown of the Southwest game. Dodge scored 16 runs in the first and six more in the second. Junior Jade Dowdy and freshman Linzy Bowen combined to pitch a no-hitter in the game.
Here is a rundown of the Dodge offense: Julianna Bellflower, two walks, two runs scored and a stolen base; Jenna Hickman, one for one, two runs scored, a walk and two runs batted in (RBIs); Aniyah Black, two walks and two runs scored; Abby Manning, one for one, two walks, three runs scored and an RBI; Jade Dowdy, one for two; Sydney Powell, three runs scored; Jacey Dowdy, three walks, and an RBI; Europe Brown, three runs scored; Sara Lann, two for two, three runs scored and four RBIs; Amber Maxwell, one for one, three runs scored and three RBIs and Hailey Hickman, one for two, a run scored and three RBIs.
The story was similar, but much worse, on Thursday, as they beat Northeast, Macon 33-0. Lann pitched a no-hitter, with seven strikeouts.
Here is the Lady Indians offensive rundown: Bellflower, three walks and two runs scored; Bowen, one for one, two runs scored and an RBI; Jenna Hickman, one for three and two runs scored; Black, three walks, three stolen bases and three runs scored; Powell, one for one, two runs scored and an RBI; Brown, two walks and five runs scored; Manning, two for two, four runs scored and six RBIs; Gracie Lewis, one for four, two runs scored and an RBI; Jacey Dowdy, two for two; Logan White, two for two, a run scored and an RBI; Lann, three for four, four runs scored and six RBIs and Maxwell, two walks and four runs scored.
Dodge opened up Friday’s play with former AAA region foe, Tattnall County. Jade Dowdy had an easy top of the first and then the bats went to work. Jade Dowdy drove in Bellflower to give Dodge a 1-0 lead. Lann and Maxwell delivered two-out hits for a 3-0 lead. Hailey Hickman got a big double with the bases loaded that scored Dowdy, Lann and Maxwell for a 6-0 lead after the first.
Jade Dowdy had easy second and third innings, as the defense went to work. Bellflower made a really good play to keep the no-hitter intact and a 6-0 lead going to the bottom of the third. The Lady Indians took advantage of three errors in the inning to add on four more runs and a 10-0 lead. A fine play by Jenna Hickman in the fourth kept the no-hitter going. There was little drama from there, as Jade Dowdy wrapped things up with a strikeout in the fifth for a 10-0 win.
The no-hitter was the third straight to start the season. I feel sure that is some kind of record, I would think.
Next up for Dodge was ECI. They would, by far, be the best team the Lady Indians would face so far. Dodge would trail 1-0 going to the bottom of the first. Bellflower singled to begin the Dodge first inning. Jenna Hickman would lay down a good bunt, the throw to first was awful, Bellflower would score and Hickman would stop at third. Black would knock in Hickman for a 2-1 lead. Manning would single and score on a double by Jacey Dowdy for a 3-1 game. Lewis would single and bring home Jacey Dowdy for a 4-1 lead. Hailey Hickman would single home Brown for a 5-1 lead.
Remember, you can run for your pitcher and catcher, so Brown was running for Lewis. Lann got the start on the mound for Dodge. She took the 5-1 lead to the third. She allowed three unearned runs, as the lead shrank to 5-4.
The Lady Indians answered with a pair of runs in the home half of the third. Dodge got RBIs from Lann and Lewis for a 7-4 game. Lann pitched a strong fourth with a pair of strikeouts. The Lady Indians added to the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Jenna Hickman and Black singled to begin the inning. Manning drove in Hickman for an 8-4 lead. Lann would double home Black and Jacey Dowdy for a 10-4 lead. Two more unearned runs cut the Dodge lead to 10-6. Dodge would add a run in the fifth for an 11-6 lead. The Dodge defense made a big play in the sixth (and final) inning. Dodge executed a great relay from centerfielder Jenna Hickman to shortstop Black to Lewis at the plate to cut down a runner, and the final was 11-6 in favor of the Lady Indians.
Saturday was a day for the close game. Bainbridge was first up for the Lady Indians. Freshman Bowen got her first ever start for Dodge. Bowen got a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless first. Dodge started the scoring in the second. With one out, Jacey Dowdy hit a shot deep over the centerfield fence for a 1-0 lead. Lann and Dowdy scored on a wild pitch for a 3-0 lead.
The Dodge lead went to 4-0, as Jenna Hickman singled, and she would score on a wild pitch. Meanwhile on the mound, Bowen was rolling right along in her first start. She allowed just three hits through the first five innings. The Dodge defense turned a pretty double play, with Black and Bellflower in the middle. Bainbridge got on the board in the sixth, for a 4-1 game.
The game got rather tense in the seventh. A pair of unearned runs cut the lead to 4-3, with the tying run at second and no one out. A line drive to Black at shortstop got the second out. Bowen calmly blew away the cleanup batter on three pitches to wrap this one up in a 4-3 win.
The final game in the tournament was against a good Appling County team. Dodge got on the board in the first. Bellflower singled to lead off things. She advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches. A sacrifice fly by Manning gave Dodge a 1-0 lead.
Jade Dowdy got the start for the Lady Indians. She worked around a walk in a scoreless first. Maxwell doubled with one out in the second. A single by Bellflower got her to third and a sacrifice fly by Jenna Hickman gave Dodge a 2-0 lead. The Dodge bats went silent after that, as a double by Bellflower, her third of the game, was Dodge’s only other hit of the game.
Jade Dowdy was breezing along until the fifth. Dodge got a horrible break with two outs, as a hit by pitch was called, and honestly, it was a swing, but a single and a three-run homer followed, and Dodge trailed 3-2. The game was called after six innings, due to the one and one-half hour time limitation that had been set for tournament play.
The 2017 version of the Dodge County High School Lady Indians kicked off their softball season with a busy game week. The Lady Indians began their week with a region game against Southwest, Macon. Dodge had no trouble with the Lady Patriots with a 22-0 win. The game wasn’t nearly as close as the final might indicate. On Thursday, Dodge traveled to Macon to play Northeast. This one was much worse, as the Lady Indians took it by a 33-0 score. Dodge had to make five of the nine outs on purpose to get the game over.
The competition got a whole lot tougher over the weekend, as they traveled to Cordele to play in the Watermelon Invitational. On Friday, Dodge defeated Tattnall County, 10-0. In their second game, they defeated ECI 11-6.
The Saturday games were both tough ones. In the opener, Dodge edged Bainbridge 4-3. In the second contest, the Lady Indians dropped a 3-2 decision to Appling County. Today, (Wednesday), Dodge will host a good West Laurens team with a 5:30 p.m. start time.
I will be short and sweet with my rundown of the Southwest game. Dodge scored 16 runs in the first and six more in the second. Junior Jade Dowdy and freshman Linzy Bowen combined to pitch a no-hitter in the game.
Here is a rundown of the Dodge offense: Julianna Bellflower, two walks, two runs scored and a stolen base; Jenna Hickman, one for one, two runs scored, a walk and two runs batted in (RBIs); Aniyah Black, two walks and two runs scored; Abby Manning, one for one, two walks, three runs scored and an RBI; Jade Dowdy, one for two; Sydney Powell, three runs scored; Jacey Dowdy, three walks, and an RBI; Europe Brown, three runs scored; Sara Lann, two for two, three runs scored and four RBIs; Amber Maxwell, one for one, three runs scored and three RBIs and Hailey Hickman, one for two, a run scored and three RBIs.
The story was similar, but much worse, on Thursday, as they beat Northeast, Macon 33-0. Lann pitched a no-hitter, with seven strikeouts.
Here is the Lady Indians offensive rundown: Bellflower, three walks and two runs scored; Bowen, one for one, two runs scored and an RBI; Jenna Hickman, one for three and two runs scored; Black, three walks, three stolen bases and three runs scored; Powell, one for one, two runs scored and an RBI; Brown, two walks and five runs scored; Manning, two for two, four runs scored and six RBIs; Gracie Lewis, one for four, two runs scored and an RBI; Jacey Dowdy, two for two; Logan White, two for two, a run scored and an RBI; Lann, three for four, four runs scored and six RBIs and Maxwell, two walks and four runs scored.
Dodge opened up Friday’s play with former AAA region foe, Tattnall County. Jade Dowdy had an easy top of the first and then the bats went to work. Jade Dowdy drove in Bellflower to give Dodge a 1-0 lead. Lann and Maxwell delivered two-out hits for a 3-0 lead. Hailey Hickman got a big double with the bases loaded that scored Dowdy, Lann and Maxwell for a 6-0 lead after the first.
Jade Dowdy had easy second and third innings, as the defense went to work. Bellflower made a really good play to keep the no-hitter intact and a 6-0 lead going to the bottom of the third. The Lady Indians took advantage of three errors in the inning to add on four more runs and a 10-0 lead. A fine play by Jenna Hickman in the fourth kept the no-hitter going. There was little drama from there, as Jade Dowdy wrapped things up with a strikeout in the fifth for a 10-0 win.
The no-hitter was the third straight to start the season. I feel sure that is some kind of record, I would think.
Next up for Dodge was ECI. They would, by far, be the best team the Lady Indians would face so far. Dodge would trail 1-0 going to the bottom of the first. Bellflower singled to begin the Dodge first inning. Jenna Hickman would lay down a good bunt, the throw to first was awful, Bellflower would score and Hickman would stop at third. Black would knock in Hickman for a 2-1 lead. Manning would single and score on a double by Jacey Dowdy for a 3-1 game. Lewis would single and bring home Jacey Dowdy for a 4-1 lead. Hailey Hickman would single home Brown for a 5-1 lead.
Remember, you can run for your pitcher and catcher, so Brown was running for Lewis. Lann got the start on the mound for Dodge. She took the 5-1 lead to the third. She allowed three unearned runs, as the lead shrank to 5-4.
The Lady Indians answered with a pair of runs in the home half of the third. Dodge got RBIs from Lann and Lewis for a 7-4 game. Lann pitched a strong fourth with a pair of strikeouts. The Lady Indians added to the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Jenna Hickman and Black singled to begin the inning. Manning drove in Hickman for an 8-4 lead. Lann would double home Black and Jacey Dowdy for a 10-4 lead. Two more unearned runs cut the Dodge lead to 10-6. Dodge would add a run in the fifth for an 11-6 lead. The Dodge defense made a big play in the sixth (and final) inning. Dodge executed a great relay from centerfielder Jenna Hickman to shortstop Black to Lewis at the plate to cut down a runner, and the final was 11-6 in favor of the Lady Indians.
Saturday was a day for the close game. Bainbridge was first up for the Lady Indians. Freshman Bowen got her first ever start for Dodge. Bowen got a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless first. Dodge started the scoring in the second. With one out, Jacey Dowdy hit a shot deep over the centerfield fence for a 1-0 lead. Lann and Dowdy scored on a wild pitch for a 3-0 lead.
The Dodge lead went to 4-0, as Jenna Hickman singled, and she would score on a wild pitch. Meanwhile on the mound, Bowen was rolling right along in her first start. She allowed just three hits through the first five innings. The Dodge defense turned a pretty double play, with Black and Bellflower in the middle. Bainbridge got on the board in the sixth, for a 4-1 game.
The game got rather tense in the seventh. A pair of unearned runs cut the lead to 4-3, with the tying run at second and no one out. A line drive to Black at shortstop got the second out. Bowen calmly blew away the cleanup batter on three pitches to wrap this one up in a 4-3 win.
The final game in the tournament was against a good Appling County team. Dodge got on the board in the first. Bellflower singled to lead off things. She advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches. A sacrifice fly by Manning gave Dodge a 1-0 lead.
Jade Dowdy got the start for the Lady Indians. She worked around a walk in a scoreless first. Maxwell doubled with one out in the second. A single by Bellflower got her to third and a sacrifice fly by Jenna Hickman gave Dodge a 2-0 lead. The Dodge bats went silent after that, as a double by Bellflower, her third of the game, was Dodge’s only other hit of the game.
Jade Dowdy was breezing along until the fifth. Dodge got a horrible break with two outs, as a hit by pitch was called, and honestly, it was a swing, but a single and a three-run homer followed, and Dodge trailed 3-2. The game was called after six innings, due to the one and one-half hour time limitation that had been set for tournament play.
Dodge County holds off Vidalia for a 14-13 win
By David Bush
The Dodge County Indian football team traveled to Vidalia on Friday night to open the 2017 football season against an always-tough Vidalia Indians squad at Buck Cravey Stadium. A solid Dodge County defense, that generated three fumbles and a game-saving goal line stand to stop a two-point conversion, proved to be the difference in the game.
Before starting the game, the large crowd was informed that the scoreboard was malfunctioning and that the time would be kept by the officials. This development would later make the game even more nerve-racking. Dodge County won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Junior Peyton Bush kicked the ball off to Vidalia, and they returned it to their own 25 yard-line. The Dodge County Indians would then make their stand and force a punt after three unproductive downs by Vidalia. Dodge took over at the Dodge County 45 yard-line and began to march down the field. After a 16-yard gain by senior quarterback Nick Cummings and a short gain by junior running back R.J. Carr, on second down and nine, Carr broke free on a 38-yard sprint to the end zone. The celebration was short-lived, as an official threw a flag on a questionable call. The penalty was assessed, and Dodge was stopped and forced to attempt a 39-yard field goal. Bush’s kick was no good, and Vidalia took over possession.
Two plays later, Dodge County forced the first fumble of the night. After a seven-yard run by Cummings and a key reception by junior Erin Pitts, the “good” Indians were first and goal. Quarterback Cummings punched it in for the touchdown, and Bush’s point after was good to make it a 7-0 Dodge County lead. After another Bush kickoff to the “bad” Indians, Vidalia’s offense was again shut down, as junior Jadin Johnson recovered the second fumble of the night, giving Dodge another chance to score. Vidalia’s defense held this time and forced a Dodge County punt. Peyton Bush came in and punted the ball down to the three yard-line, pinning Vidalia deep in their own territory. Vidalia would have to punt the ball back to Dodge, and Dodge was back in business at their own 46 yard-line. After steady running by R.J. Carr and Nick Cummings and a drive extending eight-yard catch by senior Jared Cannon, Dodge was within striking distance after ten plays. Senior Tyler Montford then blasted his way into the end zone for the second Dodge score. Bush’s point after was again good, and Dodge had an early 14-0 lead.
Bush would again kick the ball off to Vidalia. Just when things were looking good for the “good” Indians, Vidalia found a crack in the Dodge County defense, and number 2, Derman Simmons, squirted through and scampered 68 yards for a Vidalia touchdown. Grady Blount followed that with a successful point after kick, and the score was now 14-7 with 4:18 to go in the half. Dodge and Vidalia would swap drives the next four minutes, after which the half ended.
The start of the second half would have Dodge receiving the kickoff and returning the kick to the Dodge 40 yard-line. The drive would stall at the Vidalia 49 yard-line, and Bush would be asked to punt again. The junior got his foot into the ball and drove it four yards deep into the end zone, keeping the “bad” Indians deep on their end of the field. There, Vidalia would start their only strong offensive drive of the game and marched down the field to around the Dodge County 40 yard-line before the Dodge defense forced a third fumble of the night with only 1:36 left in the third quarter.
Dodge would only move the ball out to their own 44 yard-line, when Bush, again, would be asked to punt. Bush again got his foot into the ball, driving the returner back. The ball made it over the kick returner’s head and rolled into the end zone for a touchback. The ball was brought out to the 20 yard-line, and there the defense would get back to work. After a pass break up by junior Keshaun Smokes and a tackle for a loss by Tyler Montford, Vidalia was ready to punt the ball back to Dodge.
The Indians from Eastman would take over at their own 27 yard-line with 7:38 left in the fourth quarter. On the first play from scrimmage, R.J. Carr started to one side of the field, then completely changed direction and burst around the opposite end and took the ball 73 yards for another apparent touchdown, only to have an official throw another flag on, you guessed it, another questionable call. The Dodge County faithful and coaches were livid. After the penalties were assessed, the offense would try to regroup but were unsuccessful. Dodge turned the ball over on downs, and it was Vidalia’s turn again with 5:36 minutes to go in the game.
On a third and five play, Vidalia again found a small crease and squirted through the line, racing down the field. Freshman Michael Carr ran the ball carrier down inside the 5 yard-line, to momentarily save a touchdown. Two plays later, Vidalia punched it in for six making the score 14-13. The “bad” Indians then decided they would try to win the game by going for the two-point conversion, but they ran into Montford and crew at the goal line and were denied. With only 3:20 left in the game, Vidalia chose to kick the ball back to Dodge instead of trying an onside kick, and Dodge took the ball and picked up a couple of first downs to run out the clock and survive the scare.
Dodge finished the night with 13 first downs, 258 yards rushing on 44 attempts and 72 yards passing, going seven for 12 on the night. R.J. Carr had 93 yards on 15 carries (100 more yards called back). Nick Cummings had 131 yards rushing on 17 carries. Peyton Bush had three punts for a 47.33-yard average and no returns. Dodge had two fumbles on the night, losing only one.
Vidalia finished the night with eight first downs, 263 yards rushing on 38 attempts and zero yards passing going zero for five on the night. Vidalia punted four times for a 30.5-yard average and had three fumbles, losing all three to Dodge.
Dodge County is now 1-0 in the young season and has an open date this Friday. The next game will be at home against the West Laurens Raiders on September 1, 2017. West Laurens will be looking to avenge last year’s loss to Dodge 3-0 at West Laurens. Please make plans to be there and cheer on our Indians.
The Dodge County Indian football team traveled to Vidalia on Friday night to open the 2017 football season against an always-tough Vidalia Indians squad at Buck Cravey Stadium. A solid Dodge County defense, that generated three fumbles and a game-saving goal line stand to stop a two-point conversion, proved to be the difference in the game.
Before starting the game, the large crowd was informed that the scoreboard was malfunctioning and that the time would be kept by the officials. This development would later make the game even more nerve-racking. Dodge County won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Junior Peyton Bush kicked the ball off to Vidalia, and they returned it to their own 25 yard-line. The Dodge County Indians would then make their stand and force a punt after three unproductive downs by Vidalia. Dodge took over at the Dodge County 45 yard-line and began to march down the field. After a 16-yard gain by senior quarterback Nick Cummings and a short gain by junior running back R.J. Carr, on second down and nine, Carr broke free on a 38-yard sprint to the end zone. The celebration was short-lived, as an official threw a flag on a questionable call. The penalty was assessed, and Dodge was stopped and forced to attempt a 39-yard field goal. Bush’s kick was no good, and Vidalia took over possession.
Two plays later, Dodge County forced the first fumble of the night. After a seven-yard run by Cummings and a key reception by junior Erin Pitts, the “good” Indians were first and goal. Quarterback Cummings punched it in for the touchdown, and Bush’s point after was good to make it a 7-0 Dodge County lead. After another Bush kickoff to the “bad” Indians, Vidalia’s offense was again shut down, as junior Jadin Johnson recovered the second fumble of the night, giving Dodge another chance to score. Vidalia’s defense held this time and forced a Dodge County punt. Peyton Bush came in and punted the ball down to the three yard-line, pinning Vidalia deep in their own territory. Vidalia would have to punt the ball back to Dodge, and Dodge was back in business at their own 46 yard-line. After steady running by R.J. Carr and Nick Cummings and a drive extending eight-yard catch by senior Jared Cannon, Dodge was within striking distance after ten plays. Senior Tyler Montford then blasted his way into the end zone for the second Dodge score. Bush’s point after was again good, and Dodge had an early 14-0 lead.
Bush would again kick the ball off to Vidalia. Just when things were looking good for the “good” Indians, Vidalia found a crack in the Dodge County defense, and number 2, Derman Simmons, squirted through and scampered 68 yards for a Vidalia touchdown. Grady Blount followed that with a successful point after kick, and the score was now 14-7 with 4:18 to go in the half. Dodge and Vidalia would swap drives the next four minutes, after which the half ended.
The start of the second half would have Dodge receiving the kickoff and returning the kick to the Dodge 40 yard-line. The drive would stall at the Vidalia 49 yard-line, and Bush would be asked to punt again. The junior got his foot into the ball and drove it four yards deep into the end zone, keeping the “bad” Indians deep on their end of the field. There, Vidalia would start their only strong offensive drive of the game and marched down the field to around the Dodge County 40 yard-line before the Dodge defense forced a third fumble of the night with only 1:36 left in the third quarter.
Dodge would only move the ball out to their own 44 yard-line, when Bush, again, would be asked to punt. Bush again got his foot into the ball, driving the returner back. The ball made it over the kick returner’s head and rolled into the end zone for a touchback. The ball was brought out to the 20 yard-line, and there the defense would get back to work. After a pass break up by junior Keshaun Smokes and a tackle for a loss by Tyler Montford, Vidalia was ready to punt the ball back to Dodge.
The Indians from Eastman would take over at their own 27 yard-line with 7:38 left in the fourth quarter. On the first play from scrimmage, R.J. Carr started to one side of the field, then completely changed direction and burst around the opposite end and took the ball 73 yards for another apparent touchdown, only to have an official throw another flag on, you guessed it, another questionable call. The Dodge County faithful and coaches were livid. After the penalties were assessed, the offense would try to regroup but were unsuccessful. Dodge turned the ball over on downs, and it was Vidalia’s turn again with 5:36 minutes to go in the game.
On a third and five play, Vidalia again found a small crease and squirted through the line, racing down the field. Freshman Michael Carr ran the ball carrier down inside the 5 yard-line, to momentarily save a touchdown. Two plays later, Vidalia punched it in for six making the score 14-13. The “bad” Indians then decided they would try to win the game by going for the two-point conversion, but they ran into Montford and crew at the goal line and were denied. With only 3:20 left in the game, Vidalia chose to kick the ball back to Dodge instead of trying an onside kick, and Dodge took the ball and picked up a couple of first downs to run out the clock and survive the scare.
Dodge finished the night with 13 first downs, 258 yards rushing on 44 attempts and 72 yards passing, going seven for 12 on the night. R.J. Carr had 93 yards on 15 carries (100 more yards called back). Nick Cummings had 131 yards rushing on 17 carries. Peyton Bush had three punts for a 47.33-yard average and no returns. Dodge had two fumbles on the night, losing only one.
Vidalia finished the night with eight first downs, 263 yards rushing on 38 attempts and zero yards passing going zero for five on the night. Vidalia punted four times for a 30.5-yard average and had three fumbles, losing all three to Dodge.
Dodge County is now 1-0 in the young season and has an open date this Friday. The next game will be at home against the West Laurens Raiders on September 1, 2017. West Laurens will be looking to avenge last year’s loss to Dodge 3-0 at West Laurens. Please make plans to be there and cheer on our Indians.
Football camp to be held Saturday, August 26
The Dodge County High School (DCHS) and Dodge County Recreation Department (DCRD) will be sponsoring the DCHS/DCRD Football Camp, on Saturday, August 26, 2017, beginning at 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the Dodge County Recreation Department.
This camp is for DCRD football players between the ages of five and 12. There is no cost to attend, but players will need to bring their pads and helmets.
The DCHS coaching staff will be instructing.
This camp is for DCRD football players between the ages of five and 12. There is no cost to attend, but players will need to bring their pads and helmets.
The DCHS coaching staff will be instructing.
Dodge County Indians begin football season with 37-0 pre-season win over Hawkinsville
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge County High School Football Indians cranked up their 2017 season with a 37-0 pre-season win over Hawkinsville in a road game. The Indians will stay on the road for the official season opener this Friday against Vidalia. This game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.
Head Coach Rex Hodges said there were some good and not-so-good things that came out of last Friday’s play. “It was good to put our kids out there against somebody else and see what we need to work on,” said Hodges. “We put the ball on the ground a few times, and we need to work on that,” he replied. “Our special teams were good, as we only made one mistake,” said Hodges.
The Indians’ defense played well all night and even scored on an interception return by Tim Johnson. The offense was lead by R.J. Carr, a junior, and freshman Noah Cummings had some strong series at quarterback in the second half.
The defense was lead by junior Vincent Mann and Johnson who is a sophomore.
The Dodge County High School Football Indians cranked up their 2017 season with a 37-0 pre-season win over Hawkinsville in a road game. The Indians will stay on the road for the official season opener this Friday against Vidalia. This game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.
Head Coach Rex Hodges said there were some good and not-so-good things that came out of last Friday’s play. “It was good to put our kids out there against somebody else and see what we need to work on,” said Hodges. “We put the ball on the ground a few times, and we need to work on that,” he replied. “Our special teams were good, as we only made one mistake,” said Hodges.
The Indians’ defense played well all night and even scored on an interception return by Tim Johnson. The offense was lead by R.J. Carr, a junior, and freshman Noah Cummings had some strong series at quarterback in the second half.
The defense was lead by junior Vincent Mann and Johnson who is a sophomore.
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