By Russ Ragan
You know the old saying is it’s hard to beat a good team twice in the same season. I guess that book didn’t say anything about three or four times. As expected, the region championship came down to Dodge and Bleckley County. The Lady Indians rose to the occasion as they beat Bleckley County twice and East Laurens to take the region softball championship last week in Dublin. Dodge will now host Early County Wednesday (today) in a double header in their best of three series. Game time for game one is 2:00 p.m.
Dodge County Lady Indians win region championship
First, Dodge had to play East Laurens in the first round. Jade Dowdy got the start on the mound for the Lady Indians. Things didn’t start well as the Lady Falcons took a 2-0 lead in the first. The Lady Indians would come back in their half of the second. Abby Manning and Caitlyn Gooch would walk while Jade Dowdy would reach on an error. Julianna Bellflower would get the big hit as she unloaded the bases with a double with two out to give Dodge the lead. Bellflower would score on an error and Dodge would take a 4-2 lead.
The Lady Falcons wouldn’t go away as they scored a run in the fourth to cut the Dodge lead to 4-3. Dodge would get an insurance run in the fifth. Aniyah Black would single to lead off the inning and she would steal second and third. Caitlyn Gooch would score her on a one out single for a 5-3 lead. Meanwhile, on the mound, Dowdy was slowing down the Lady Falcons. She would settle only one run and four hits after the first inning.
Dodge would put the game away in the sixth. Faith Manning would single to lead off the inning. Courtesy, runner Jenna Hickman stole second, keep in mind that you can run the pitcher and catcher, and she would score as Haley Holloway reached on an error for a 6-3 lead. Abby Manning hit a sacrifice fly that scored Holloway for a 7-3 game. Aniyah Black would finish off the inning with a solo homer to give Dodge an 8-3 lead. The final would be 8-3. This win wasn’t pretty to say the least, but in the post season, you take a win anyway you can get it. Next up Dodge and Bleckley part three.
I will take you back just a week as Dodge and Bleckley hooked up in a scoreless tie until the eighth inning. That would not be the case on this night. Holloway got the Lady Royals in order to start the game and the Lady Indians would come to bat and do some serious damage in the bottom of the first.
Julianna Bellflower would be hit by a pitch and Faith Manning would reach on an error to start the inning. Holloway would double home Bellflower for a 1-0 lead. Margaret Simmons would follow up with a single that scored Manning and the lead grew to 2-0. Abby Manning would single home Holloway and Black would double home Simmons and suddenly the Dodge lead would be 4-0. Manning would score on an error and the Dodge lead was 5-0 after the first. The Lady Royals had to think that they were in real trouble being five runs down while having to face Holloway.
Holloway struck out a pair in the second and Dodge went back to work at the plate. Faith Manning reached on an error and stole second. She would eventually score and the Dodge lead grew 6-0. A scary moment for Dodge came in the top of the fourth. Senior shortstop Margaret Simmons would be taken out by a Lady Royal runner while she was fielding a ground ball. The runner would be called out for interference but Simmons would be out for the game with a head injury. She would be out for the rest of the tournament. She is hopeful to be back for the state tournament.
Ok, back to the game. The Lady Royals would get a pair of unearned runs to creep back into the game at 6-2. Holloway would walk out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth and Dodge would advance to the championship game with a 6-2 win. Holloway finished the game with 12 strikeouts.
As expected, Bleckley defeated Dublin in the loser’s bracket game to meet the Lady Indians for the fourth time. Dodge had two chances to be region champs just in case. The game started much slower than the last one as it was scoreless going to the Dodge half of the third inning.
Jade Dowdy would single and Jenna Hickman would be hit by a pitch to lead the inning. A walk to Bleckley would load the bases with nobody out. A balk would then be called allowing Dowdy to score for a 1-0 lead. Faith Manning would single home Hickman for a 2-0 Dodge lead. A single by Abby Manning would score Bellflower for a 3-0 Lady Indian lead. Caitlyn Gooch would wrap up the big inning with a single that scored Manning and Aniyah Black for a 5-0 Dodge lead.
So for the second time in 24 hours Dodge had a big inning. The Lady Royals tried to battle back as they got a pair of homers to cut the Dodge lead to 5-3. Dodge would get some insurance in the fifth. Singles from Holloway and Abby Manning, along with a walk to Black, loaded the bases with nobody out. Caitlyn Gooch would walk, forcing home Holloway for a 6-3 game. Manning would eventually score and the Dodge lead was at 7-3 going into the sixth.
Holloway would get a pair of strikeouts in the sixth to keep the lead at 7-3. Even though everybody in Dodge had felt really good with a four run lead going into the seventh with Holloway on the mound a little more insurance couldn’t hurt and they got it. Faith Manning got a single, her third of the game, with one out and Holloway got her second. Abby Manning got her third hit of the game scoring her sister Faith and Holloway scored on a throwing error as the lead reached 9-3 and things looked even better.
Bleckley got a one out double but a strikeout and a pair of weak ground balls wrapped up this one and Dodge took the region crown with a 9-3 win. Holloway went the distance striking out ten and allowing just five hits and one error run.
The Lady Falcons wouldn’t go away as they scored a run in the fourth to cut the Dodge lead to 4-3. Dodge would get an insurance run in the fifth. Aniyah Black would single to lead off the inning and she would steal second and third. Caitlyn Gooch would score her on a one out single for a 5-3 lead. Meanwhile, on the mound, Dowdy was slowing down the Lady Falcons. She would settle only one run and four hits after the first inning.
Dodge would put the game away in the sixth. Faith Manning would single to lead off the inning. Courtesy, runner Jenna Hickman stole second, keep in mind that you can run the pitcher and catcher, and she would score as Haley Holloway reached on an error for a 6-3 lead. Abby Manning hit a sacrifice fly that scored Holloway for a 7-3 game. Aniyah Black would finish off the inning with a solo homer to give Dodge an 8-3 lead. The final would be 8-3. This win wasn’t pretty to say the least, but in the post season, you take a win anyway you can get it. Next up Dodge and Bleckley part three.
I will take you back just a week as Dodge and Bleckley hooked up in a scoreless tie until the eighth inning. That would not be the case on this night. Holloway got the Lady Royals in order to start the game and the Lady Indians would come to bat and do some serious damage in the bottom of the first.
Julianna Bellflower would be hit by a pitch and Faith Manning would reach on an error to start the inning. Holloway would double home Bellflower for a 1-0 lead. Margaret Simmons would follow up with a single that scored Manning and the lead grew to 2-0. Abby Manning would single home Holloway and Black would double home Simmons and suddenly the Dodge lead would be 4-0. Manning would score on an error and the Dodge lead was 5-0 after the first. The Lady Royals had to think that they were in real trouble being five runs down while having to face Holloway.
Holloway struck out a pair in the second and Dodge went back to work at the plate. Faith Manning reached on an error and stole second. She would eventually score and the Dodge lead grew 6-0. A scary moment for Dodge came in the top of the fourth. Senior shortstop Margaret Simmons would be taken out by a Lady Royal runner while she was fielding a ground ball. The runner would be called out for interference but Simmons would be out for the game with a head injury. She would be out for the rest of the tournament. She is hopeful to be back for the state tournament.
Ok, back to the game. The Lady Royals would get a pair of unearned runs to creep back into the game at 6-2. Holloway would walk out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth and Dodge would advance to the championship game with a 6-2 win. Holloway finished the game with 12 strikeouts.
As expected, Bleckley defeated Dublin in the loser’s bracket game to meet the Lady Indians for the fourth time. Dodge had two chances to be region champs just in case. The game started much slower than the last one as it was scoreless going to the Dodge half of the third inning.
Jade Dowdy would single and Jenna Hickman would be hit by a pitch to lead the inning. A walk to Bleckley would load the bases with nobody out. A balk would then be called allowing Dowdy to score for a 1-0 lead. Faith Manning would single home Hickman for a 2-0 Dodge lead. A single by Abby Manning would score Bellflower for a 3-0 Lady Indian lead. Caitlyn Gooch would wrap up the big inning with a single that scored Manning and Aniyah Black for a 5-0 Dodge lead.
So for the second time in 24 hours Dodge had a big inning. The Lady Royals tried to battle back as they got a pair of homers to cut the Dodge lead to 5-3. Dodge would get some insurance in the fifth. Singles from Holloway and Abby Manning, along with a walk to Black, loaded the bases with nobody out. Caitlyn Gooch would walk, forcing home Holloway for a 6-3 game. Manning would eventually score and the Dodge lead was at 7-3 going into the sixth.
Holloway would get a pair of strikeouts in the sixth to keep the lead at 7-3. Even though everybody in Dodge had felt really good with a four run lead going into the seventh with Holloway on the mound a little more insurance couldn’t hurt and they got it. Faith Manning got a single, her third of the game, with one out and Holloway got her second. Abby Manning got her third hit of the game scoring her sister Faith and Holloway scored on a throwing error as the lead reached 9-3 and things looked even better.
Bleckley got a one out double but a strikeout and a pair of weak ground balls wrapped up this one and Dodge took the region crown with a 9-3 win. Holloway went the distance striking out ten and allowing just five hits and one error run.
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