A confident Rockmart Lady Yellow Jackets came to Eastman to begin the best of three series against a determined bunch of Dodge County Lady Indians.
Last week I said something special would happen on Wednesday and boy (for once) I was right. The Lady Jackets claimed game one with a five to two score and jumped out to a quick three and zero lead in game two.
The Lady Indians got off the deck and battled back for an epic 10 to eight win forcing game three on Thursday. Rockmart scored four runs in the third to take a four to one lead.
Once again, the Lady Indians came fighting back, but they came up just one hit short and fell five to four.
Rockmart came out hot as they scored three runs in the first. Margaret Simmons singled with two out in the first. Nikki Graham would double her home for a three to one game after one. Rockmart would add single runs in the second and third to take a five to one lead.
Dodge would get a run closer in the fourth as Lauren Belflower would single home Lizzie Massingill for a five to two game. Dodge would bring the tying run to the plate in the fifth and sixth, but they would fall five to two.
The Lady Jackets would get off to a quick start in game two. They would get five runs in the second that was capped off by a grand slam and they would take a five to zero lead.
The Lady Indians would come roaring back in the third. Claire Greer and Katie Selph reached base with one out. Graham would single home Greer for a five to one game. Annie Moore would single to load the bases. Lila Coleman got the big hit as she unloaded the bases with a hit to right-center to cut the lead to five to four.
Dodge got single runs to stay in the game in the fifth and sixth. Moore drove in Simmons in the fourth and Madison Mullis drove in Greer in the fifth. The Lady Indians trailed eight to six going to their final swings in the seventh. Dodge was the visiting team in the seventh.
Simmons and Graham both singled to put the tying run on base. Moore loaded the bases with her third hit of the game. It was a bullet back through the middle that nailed the pitcher in the ribs. She was down for a minute, but she stayed in the game. With one out, Belflower singled to right-center and the game was tied at eight to eight.
Haley Holloway would bunt the runners at second and third and set the stage for centerfielder Greer. The senior got a solid single that scored Coleman and Belflower and Dodge took their first lead of the day at 10 to eight.
Freshman pitcher, Holloway, needed to get three outs to force a third game. Holloway entered the game with one out in the second.
The first batter hit a foul fly ball down the left field line that Mullis made a great catch as she banged into the fence for the catch.
After a pair of ground balls, both on the first pitch, suddenly ended the game and Dodge grabbed a 10 to eight win. The Lady Jackets seemed stunned as they didn’t expect a return trip to Dodge on Thursday.
Dodge would grab an early lead in game three. Selph would single to left with one out. Graham would single her home for a one to zero Dodge lead. The Lady Jackets would rally with four runs in the third for a four to one lead. Dodge would come back in the fifth. Graham would belt a long two-run homer to pull Dodge within a run at four to three.
Both teams would score a run in the seventh and the game would end at five to four for Rockmart. The Lady Indians would end the game with the bases loaded.
The series was an epic one to say the very least. Dodge left it all on the field in all three games. The year was a great one for this young bunch of Lady Indians. The team repeated as region champions even though they were challenged more than last year. The team had great leadership from their starting seniors. This young group will be back, I have no doubt about that.