The Fayette Citizen-Sports Page
Friday, October 16, 1998
Softball season hits end of the road
By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Sports Editor

It feels like the softball season just started and already we have been forced to say goodbye to some teams. The McIntosh Lady Chiefs, the Sandy Creek Lady Patriots and the Starr's Mill Lady Panthers played in the state sectionals this past weekend. They were playing for an entry into the state tournament. They were playing to not go gentle into that good night called the off-season.

McIntosh won their game against Lakeside High School of Evans County by a score of 6-1. Shortstop Britte Hardy had four hits in the win including two doubles. Candace Moore, Brooke King and Jennifer Ward each had three hits including a double. King pitched seven innings against Lakeside, giving up three hits, striking out seven and issuing three walks. Sabrina McCord hit a homerun in the second inning and the Chiefs never looked back. The winner's bracket pitted the Lady Chiefs against Harrison High School.

The game against Harrison was scoreless until the fourth inning, where McIntosh committed five errors allowing Harrison to score five runs. The Lady Chiefs could produce no offense and lost 10-0 to Harrison. Brooke King and Senior Amie Lawrence shared pitching duties in the loss. King pitched four innings and struck out five while Lawrence pitched two innings, walked three batters and gave up one hit.

McIntosh then had to face the top 3-AAAA team, Lovejoy High School. The Lady Chiefs struck in the first with Candace Moore scoring off of a double by Britte Hardy. Lovejoy tied it in the top of the second but Abby King scored from second base off an error in the bottom of the second to give the Lady Chiefs the lead. Lovejoy scored five runs in the fourth inning and another run in the fifth to take a 7-2 lead, but the Lady Chiefs were not done.

They scored five runs in the sixth with two outs. Catcher Megan Mulcahy was hit by a pitch which scored Sabrina McCord on third base. The bases were loaded for Candace Moore who doubled, scoring two runs and Britte Hardy followed with a single that scored two runs. Lovejoy and McIntosh were tied 7-7 in the ninth inning when Lovejoy scored on two Lady Chief errors.

The Lady Chiefs finished the season with a record of 25-8 and will lose eight of their 14 varsity players to graduation this year. They played a great season, finished with a fantastic record and should not be hanging their heads at all.

Starr's Mill and Sandy Creek both had tough times at the AAA sectionals in Conyers last weekend. Starr's Mill won their opening match against Greenbrier 8-1. Kelsey McBride was the winning pitcher for the Panthers as Kristen Tuttle went for three for three at the plate. The Panthers got more offense from Megan Laggis who went two for three and Jamie Vining, who went two for four. The offense then disappeared for Starr's Mill as they only produced seven hits over the next two games.

After their game with Greenbrier, Starr's Mill faced Jones County and lost 5-2. Jamie Vining went two for four again and the only other Panther hits came from Shannon Vining and Erin Keating. Kelly Davis was the losing pitcher for Starr's Mill. The Panthers then faced Jordan High School in what would be their final game of the season. The struggling offense only produced three hits against Jordan and lost 8-2. The Panthers should feel good about where they got this season though as it was a dramatic improvement from last season. They finished 18-9 overall. The other plus for Starr's Mill is that they return the entire squad next season and should be a top contender in AAA ball.

The other top contender next year should be the Sandy Creek Lady Patriots. They dropped two consecutive games in Conyers last weekend but return 12 players from their 15 person varsity roster. The Lady Patriots lost to Dublin High School 5-4. Sandy Creek led 4-0 in the sixth inning only to watch the game wither before them. The next game against Jordan was no easier for Sandy Creek as sophomore pitcher Tika Hayes pitched brilliantly, throwing a no-hitter., Unfortunately, two unearned runs scored off errors. Jessica Demooney was the only batter to get a hit for the Lady Patriots in the 2-0 loss. Sandy Creek finished the season with a record of 20 -7 and know they'll be back at the top next year.

This may have been one of the most exciting seasons in recent history. Every coach, player and fan should be proud of the excellence and sportsmanship displayed by the local teams. We now must wait for next summer.

AAAA Sectionals

McIntosh -6 Lakeside -1

McIntosh -0 Harrison -10

McIntosh -7 Lovejoy -9

AAA Sectionals

Starr's Mill -8 Greenbrier -1

Starr's Mill -2 Jones Co. -5

Starr's Mill -2 Jordan -8

Sandy Creek -4 Dublin -5

Sandy Creek -0 Jordan -2

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