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From Staff Reports

 

 

KATHLEEN, GA – The Schley County Lady Wildcats were one out away from clinching a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Lady Warhawks of Veterans (VHS), but with a runner on second, VHS was able to tie the game on an RBI single by Hailey Sanford. Then after Sanford advanced to second base on a passed ball, Kasey Gibson delivered the crushing walk-off RBI single to defeat SCHS 4-3 on Monday, August 23 at Veterans High School.

It has been said that in sports, the little things can make a difference and the sequence of events that led up to Gibson’s walk-off RBI single proved to be no exception to this truth. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, an error was committed by the Lady Wildcats that allowed the tying run to be at second base. SCHS pitcher Lizzie Barineau was able to get Ellie Batten to fly out to left field for the second out, but Sanford’s RBI single tied the game and that set the stage for Gibson’s heroics.

SCHS catcher Zoe Molina had a tremendous day at the plate. Molina went 4 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Emma Walker also did well offensively for the Lady Wildcats as she went 2 for 3 and scored a run.

The unfortunate ending of the game for the Lady Wildcats also negated a tremendous performance by SCHS starting pitcher Makena Wurtz, who pitched four scoreless innings. Wurtz allowed no runs on five hits, walked two and struck out one.

With the score deadlocked at 0-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Barineau came on in relief of Wurtz and was able to keep the Lady Warhawks at bay. Then in the top of the sixth, SCHS took a 1-0 lead when Destiny LeCroy drove in Molina from third on an RBI single.

However, in the bottom half of the inning, VHS struck back by scoring two runs on two hits and taking advantage of an SCHS error.

Undaunted, the Lady Wildcats rallied in the top of the seventh. With one out and a runner on second, Molina tied the game with an RBI single to right field. Then Maddie Walker would later score the go-ahead run on an error to give the Lady Wildcats a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

However, SCHS was not able to avoid the sequence of events in the bottom of the seventh inning that led to Gibson’s game-winning RBI single for the Lady Warhawks.

The Lady Wildcats (1-4) will try to rebound from this setback when they travel to Manchester for a region contest against the Lady Blue Devils on Thursday, August 26. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.