Lady Dawgs start out region play 2-0

The Lady Dawg softball team played their first two region games last week, winning both games against Claxton and Metter. The Tigers got on the board first to lead 1-0 in the top for the first. Jayna Kearson got the ball rolling for ECI in the game against Claxton, blasting a two-run shot over the left field fence in the first inning for a 2-1 lead. Dot Russell, the homerun leader at three, drilled one over the fence in the third to put the Bulldogs up 3-1. ECI plated three more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-1 lead. Both teams put on a run on the board in the sixth to make the final score 7-2. Leading hitter for ECI was Jayna Kearson with three hits, three RBI, HR. Four other Bulldogs had one hit each including Russell’s HR in the third. Mary Katherine Durden toed the rubber for the game, scattering nine hits while striking out 11 Tiger batters. The Lady Dawgs took the trip down 23 to take on new region foe Metter. ECI defeated the Tigers 4-2 to pick up their second region win of the season. The Bulldogs got some two-out magic in the third inning to score the first run. With Dot Russell on after a double, the hot hitting Jayna Kearson hit a triple to score Russell. The Tigers matched that run in the bottom of the third for a 1-1 tie. Kearson got her second RBI of the game in the fifth inning with a single scoring Durden for a 2-1 Bulldog lead. With the scored tied 2-2 in the top of the nineth inning, Jayna completed her four RBI day with a single, scoring Abbey Marsh and Durden to defeat the Tigers 4-2 in extra innings. Multiple hitters for the game were Kearson four hits, with Russell, Hillman, Marsh and Durden ending the game with two hits each. Durden pitched all nine innings for ECI, allowing seven hits while striking out six with no walks.

Friday and Saturday found the Bulldogs in Cordele playing in the annual Crisp County Tournament. The Lady Dawgs played three of the largest schools in the state in, facing 6A Lowndes, Camden, and Tift Co. The Bulldogs started out the tournament Friday defeating Camden County 6-3. Later on Friday, they lost a squeaker 5-4 to Lowndes Co. and ended the tournament with a 7-1 loss on Saturday to Tift Co. The Lady Dawg pitchers, Mary Katherine Durden and Charley Mitchell were around the plate for the tournament, allowing just one walk between them. Durden pitched 11 innings, allowing 17 hits, striking out 14 batters during the two days. Mitchell stood in the circle for six innings, giving up five hits with three strikeouts. Leading hitters during the tournament were Jayna Kearson six hits, Kinley Grimes three hits, with Dot Russell, Senaria Hillman, Lola Walden, and Kayanna Thompson ending the weekend with two hits each.

The Bulldogs have two region games this week. Tuesday, they host McIntosh Co. and Thursday will travel to Sylvania to take on the Gamecocks.

They will be in another tournament on Saturday when they play at Georgia Southern in the Coastal Georgia Classic.

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