The Dodge County 12 and Under Fast pitch softball team traveled to Sylvania for the GRPA Class C State Tournament July 8-10, 2010.
The team had been practicing vigorously for the past several weeks getting ready for the challenge.
First up for the girls on Thursday night was Mt. Zion out of District 4. Dodge came out on fire and never looked back cruising to an easy 17-0 first round win.
On Friday morning the girls would face a big Oconee County team.
Again, Dodge came out ready to play and cruised to an easy victory by a score of 15-1.
Next up for the team was a tough Jeff Davis team. A combination of the high heat and fatigue on both teams held the game scoreless until late in the game.
Jeff Davis went ahead by a score of 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Dodge would rally to tie it in the top of the sixth. Jeff Davis had last bat and pushed across the winning run for the victory. Dodge would now have to win the next three games to bring home the championship.
Preparing for a long day at the park, the girls got a good night’s rest and were ready to play on Saturday. The team would have to beat Early County and then would need to beat Jeff Davis two times if they wanted a state championship.
Early County came to play and jumped out to an early two to nothing lead. Dodge could not seem to get a rally going until the fourth inning.
A few clutch hits and some errors by Early County allowed Dodge to tie the game. In the fifth inning Dodge would pull away for a seven to four victory. This set up a showdown with Jeff Davis.
The girls struggled at first but eventually got their bats warmed up and came away with a nine to five victory.
After a short break the two teams were at it again for the championship title. Dodge was determined to bring home the crown as they jumped out to an early lead. Great pitching and key defensive plays would hold the Jeff Davis girls from scoring.
The girls would put together some good two out hits and jump on top of Jeff Davis early and often.
The fans and the girls could taste the thrill of victory late in the game. Dodge would add some more runs late to rout Jeff Davis by a score of 15-7 to earn the state crown.
Plans were quickly underway for a police escort into town and a parade through downtown Eastman.
The girls and coaches would like to thank Bodie Gray and the entire Eastman/Dodge County Recreatioin Department (EDRD) for all of their support throughout the season.
They would also like to thank the people of Dodge County for their support, and money that were raised at the red light and Wal-Mart last week.
A big thank you goes out to all the local businesses in town for their support as well. Your generosity was greatly appreciated.
The girls and parents would like to thank the coaches for all of their hard work and dedication. Without the guidance of you three coaches none of this would have been possible. Thanks for everything.
Members of the championshhip team pictured above are (kneeling, l-r) Leah Creech, Lauren Belflower, Annie Moore, Lila Coleman, and Kaylee Peterson. (Standing, l-r) are Elizabeth Massingill, Faith Manning, Nikki Graham, Lindsey Crummey, Chelsea Brady, Chelsey Hickman, and Briana Perdue.
Coaches for the team pictured above (l-r) are assistant coach Robbie Massingill, assistant coach Bubba Graham, EDRD Director Bodie Gray and head coach Brian Perdue.
