Fayette earns second region win of the season, 12-4 over McIntosh

Thu, 09/04/2008 - 7:46pm
By: Kevin Wandra

The Fayette County Lady Tigers and McIntosh Lady Chiefs have the same issue to contend with this season — youth and inexperience.

Fayette’s 12-player roster features eight underclassmen, including seven freshmen, and McIntosh’s 14-player roster features 12 underclassmen, including seven freshmen.

Fayette won the battle of youth and inexperience Thursday, pounding out 12 hits in a 12-4 victory over McIntosh in a Region 5A-AAAA game in Peachtree City.

It was the second region win of the season for Fayette (2-2, 2-2 region), which was coming off an 8-5 loss Wednesday to region rival Starr’s Mill. The loss dropped McIntosh to 3-9 overall and 3-2 in the region.

Two of Fayette’s upperclassmen, junior India Morgan (3-for-3, three RBI) and senior Chasity Welch (2-for-3, four RBI), were a potent combo with their bats.

But it was Fayette’s underclassmen that left a lasting impression on Lady Tigers coach Jill Joiner.

"The ones that should have hit (Morgan and Welch), hit,” Joiner said. “Honestly, our seven ninth-graders, who are playing varsity ball for the first time, are making contact. When they make contact, things can happen. I think you saw that today.”

Fayette scored four runs in the first inning without a run-scoring hit; it scored two runs on a throwing error and one each on a wild pitch and a fielding error.

McIntosh scored its first run in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by Laurel Clarke.

Morgan made it 5-1 with a two-out single to center field in the second.

The Tigers added another run in the third on Kenyah Smith’s single to right field to make it 6-3, but the Chiefs cut Fayette’s lead in half in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by Katie Sowers and a fielder’s choice by Clarke.

Welch’s three-run double and Morgan’s RBI double in the next at-bat expanded Fayette’s lead to 10-3 in the fifth and put the game out of McIntosh’s reach.

Clarke’s sacrifice fly in the fifth accounted for McIntosh’s final run.

Welch and Morgan drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks in the seventh to complete the blowout.

Fayette’s Candace Newberry struck out nine, walked one and allowed nine hits and four runs (three earned) in seven innings for her second victory of the season.

It was the third game McIntosh played this week.

The Lady Chiefs lost to Northgate 11-0 Wednesday and pounded Banneker 20-0 Tuesday.

McIntosh was held to two hits against Northgate: singles by Jessica Conaway and Clarke.

In its victory over Banneker, McIntosh scored three runs in the first, then exploded for 17 in the second.

McIntosh’s top hitters were Ariel Shaw (2-for-2, two singles, two RBI), Conaway (2-for-2, two singles, three RBI), Wesleigh Bartels (2-for -2, two singles), Melissa Markhardt (1-for-1, one single, two RBI), Sowers (single, two RBI), Linsey Hearn (1-for-1, one single, two RBI) and Aimee McKibbin (single, three RBI).

Clarke was the winning pitcher for McIntosh. She pitched two and two-third innings, striking out five and giving up one hit and three walks.

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