SPORTS

By Russ Ragan
It was a rough week for the Dodge County High School Lady Indians softball team.
Last Monday, Dodge returned to play as they traveled to Lamar County. Dodge trailed big early and they would come back to take the lead but they would drop a 15-12 decision.
Tuesday, Dodge would recover for a 12-1 region win over Washington County. The Lady Indians would host Jasper County in the home finale. The game would be pitchers dual. Jasper would win a tough 4-1 game. Dodge will head to Bleckley County today (Wednesday) to wrap up regular season play.
Dodge would lead early in Lamar. The Lady Indians would be down 3-0 going to the second. Dodge would rally in the second to tie the game. A double from Gracie Lewis would score M.K. Roberson for a 3-1 game. Dodge would tie the game on back-to-back walks to Jessica Joiner and Amber Maxwell.
Lamar would charge back and take an 11-3 lead going into the fifth but Dodge would charge back. Roberson would double home Dylana Barton and Logan White for an 11-5 game. A double from Brooke Perdue and a sacrifice fly from Gracee Lewis made it an 11-6 game. Dodge would take the lead as Logan White hit a two run homer for a 12-11 game. The lead wouldn’t last as Lamar County would score four runs in the sixth to take a 15-12 lead and that would be the final.
Dodge returned to play on Tuesday as they headed to Sandersville to play Washington County. Linzy Bowen got the start for Dodge. The Lady Indians trailed 1-0 after a run in the first. Bowen would then take control. Bowen would have seven strikeouts in three perfect innings.
Dodge would come back in the fifth. Ava Maxwell and Dylana Barton reached on errors with two outs. A single from Logan White scored Maxwell and tied the game at 1-1. A double from Gracee Lewis scored Barton and White for a 3-1 game. M.K. Roberson scored courtesy runner Carson Ethridge for a 4-1 lead.
Bowen rolled right along with an easy fifth. Dodge would put things away in the sixth. Bowen got a one out single and stole second. Ava Roland would follow up with a long long homer to left center for a 6-1 game. Ava Maxwell would reach on an error and steal second. Dodge would play long ball once more, as Dylana Barton would go deep to left center and an 8-1 game. Dodge would get RBI’s from Perdue, Bailey Harvey and Bowen for a 12-1 lead.
Bowen would wrap up things in the bottom of the sixth as she struck out the side in the sixth. The senior allowed but two hits and one run in the first. She returned the final 16 batters in the game and she had 11 strikeouts.
Dodge hosted Jasper County in Thursday night’s home finale. Brooke Perdue got the start for Dodge. She worked around some trouble in the first and she had an easy second with a pair of strikeouts. Ava Roland lead off the Dodge County second with a walk. Carson Ethridge came in to run for the catcher. M.K. Roberson followed with a solid single to center. The ball got away from the centerfielder and Ethridge scored and Dodge took the lead 1-0. Jasper took the lead in the third on three unearned runs for a 3-1 lead. Perdue had three strikeouts in the inning.
Dodge would get a two out hit from Ava Roland in the fourth but that would be all. Perdue would work around three hits and she would have 8 strikeouts going into the seventh. Jasper would add another unearned run in the seventh to take a 4-1 lead.
Dodge would make a last rally in the home half of the seventh. Dodge would bring the tying run to the plate as White and Roberson would reach on errors. A pair of fly balls would end the rally and the game in a 4-1 loss for Dodge.