Back to Columbus for Lady Dawgs

The ECI Lady Dawg softball team will be packing their bags next week for another trip to the Elite 8 round of the state playoffs in Columbus. If should be familiar surroundings for the Dawgs. This marks the eighth time in the last 10 years the Lady Dawgs have made the trip to West Georgia.

These seniors on the Lady Dawgs team have packed their bags for a trip to Columbus and the Elite 8 round all four years of their high school careers. They advanced to the Elite 8 round last week by sweeping the number 2 seed from region 7, the Trion Bulldogs. ECI shut out Trion in the first game 12-0 and ended the best of 3 series in the second game 15-2.

To say the Lady Dawgs have been cooking in the first two rounds would be an understatement. They have outscored their first two opponents, Telfair Co. and Trion, 52-3. As the cliché goes, the competition only gets stronger from now on, as there are no average teams that make the Elite 8.

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After a scoreless first inning in the opening game against Trion, the Bulldogs put the scoreboard operator to work, posting 7 runs in the second inning. They added 3 more in the third inning to lead 10-0. The Lady Dawgs closed out the game in the fourth inning putting 2 more on the board to run rule the Bulldogs from North Georgia, 12-0. The Lady Dawgs pelted 14 hits during the opening game. Getting multiple hits during the game were Senaria Hillman 3, with 2 doubles, Dot Russell 2, with a double, Lola Walden, and Kayanna Thompson 2 hits each, and Jayna Kearson, 2 hits with a triple. Mary Katherine Durden toed the rubber for the four innings, giving up just 2 hits while striking out 7 Trion batters.

Playing as the visiting team in the second game of the double header, the Lady Dawgs took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Trion scored their only runs of the series in the bottom of the first, wth ECI still leading 3-2. The Lady Dawgs scored 4 runs each in the second, third and fourth innings, for another run rule 4 inning game, defeating Trion 15-2. The teams’ bats got a workout, getting 17 hits in the second game, with 7 Lady Dawgs getting multiple hits.

Ending the game with 3 hits along with 3 RBI each were Kayanna Thompson and Senaria Hillman. Getting 2 hits against Trion pitching were Jayna Kearson, Kinley Grimes, Dot Russell, Lola Walden, and Abbey Marsh. Mary Katherine Durden once again stood in the circle allowing just 3 hits, 0 walks, striking out eight.

The Bulldogs will face Irwin Co. at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, October 30, in their first game. The Bulldogs play out of region 3 in Class A division 2. Along with ECI, two other teams from Region 3 also advanced. Number 2 seed from region 3, Metter will play one of the Lady Dawgs’ ole foes in Columbus, Lanier Co. and Screven Co. also advanced to Elite 8 and will face GMC.