Lady Bulldogs split district games

By GARY EDWARDS
Posted 4/16/14

With the softball season winding down the Quitman Lady Bulldogs split a pair of district games last week, losing a 9-6 home game to Grand Saline and then going on the road to beat Edgewood 2-1.

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Lady Bulldogs split district games

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With the softball season winding down the Quitman Lady Bulldogs split a pair of district games last week, losing a 9-6 home game to Grand Saline and then going on the road to beat Edgewood 2-1.

The Tuesday game with Grand Saline was senior night, the final home game of the season, and Quitman fell behind 4-0 in the first inning and trailed 8-1 before mounting a spirited comeback that fell short when the final out of the game took place with the tying run in the batter's box.

The visiting Lady Indians collected five hits, all singles, to score four times before Quitman came to bat.

In the bottom of the first Quitman threatened to score when Alyssa Harris led off with a triple to the right field fence and Allie Medlin was hit by a pitch but Shayla Smith flied out to centerfield, Kelsey Daniel hit a sharp line drive right at the left fielder for out number two and Allison McKinley grounded out thirdto first to end the threat.

Grand Saline combined three hits, including a single, triple and double to score another run in the second inning and led 5-0 before Quitman mounted some offense of their own.

With one out in the bottom of the second inning Hope Deer singled and moved to second and third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on a two-out single by Harris. The Lady Indians retaliated by scoring twice more in the top of the third on a bases loaded single with two outs and Quitman trailed 7-1.

The Lady Indians threatened again in the top of the fourth inning when they loaded the bases on a leadoff double and two walks and Shea Raley took over the pitching chores from starter Allison McKinley.

All she did was get out of the inning unscored on when she got the first out on a strikeout, the second on a force at home and third on a ground ball to second. But the Lady Bulldogs couldn't take advantage of the shift in momentum, going down in order in the bottom of the fourth.

Grand Saline extended their lead with a run in the top of the fifth and the game moved into the bottom of the sixth inning with Quitman appearing to be out of the game.

Then the fun began for Quitman fans. McKinley led off with a single to centerfield and Raley promptly ripped a double to the left centerfield fence to drive in McKinley. A single to center moved Raley to third and she scored moments later on a ground out to shortstop.

In the top of the seventh with one out Grand Saline got a pair of runners on an infield error and a single and with two outs they both scored on a double to left field, creating a 9-3 advantage for the visitors.

The bottom of the seventh inning saw Quitman battle back to get within striking distance with the help of a pair of infield errors by Grand Saline. Medlin walked leading off and Shayla Smith and Daniel each reached base on the errors. McKinley grounded into a force play at home but moments later the Lady Bulldogs got a gift run in the form of a hit batter, Raley, that made the score 9-4. Deer drove in another run with a sacrifice flyball out to right field and a wild pitch plated another Quitman run,leaving the Lady Bulldogs behind 9-6.

With two outs and the bases loaded Harris stepped up to the plate.

Harris drove a pitch to centerfield, well hit, but catchable, and the game came to a close.

Later in the week at Edgewood it was a very different contest, with a minimum of scoring.

Neither team scored until Quitman scored a single run in the top of the sixth and Edgewood promptly tied the game with a run in the bottom of the inning.

Displaying much the same grit they showed in their battle with Grand Saline, Quitman scored again in the top of the seventh and made that run stand up in a 2-1 win that Head Coach Ashton Brey said left her "very happy."

McKinley scattered seven hits and on offense she had two single in three at bats, to win her seventh game of the season and the third district win for Quitman. Edgewood pitcher Nicole Cherry allowed only four hits in the losing effort. The Quitman runs were driven in by Daniel and Quitman freshman Erin Derryberry, who was making her first appearance on the varsity.

The Lady Bulldogs close out the season this week at Lone Oak on Tuesday, too late for the Democrat deadlne.