Staff Report
Ware County capped a busy week of action with a doubleheader sweep of Region 1-AAAAA foe Greenbrier to stretch its winning streak to four games.
The Lady Gators (10-3 overall, 3-1 region), who opened the week with a 11-3 win Tuesday over Bradwell Institute, rolled to a 14-2 victory at Glynn Academy Thursday, September 15.
Ware County notched an 8-7 victory in Game 1 Saturday, September 17 vs. the Lady Wolfpack (6-7-1, 3-3) and followed with a 1-0 decision in Game 2.
The Lady Gators hosted Class A eighth-ranked Bacon County Monday night before returning to region action Tuesday against region-leading Coffee and Thursday against Statesboro at home.
Lady Gators 14
Glynn Acad. 2
BRUNSWICK — Ware County used a six-run first frame to kickstart a four-inning rout of the Lady Terrors.
The Lady Gators had just two hits in their first at bat taking advantage of Glynn Academy’s fielding issues. Ware County plated a run in the second, four in the third and three in the fourth.
Raygan Dixon (1-for-3) and Kaleigh Joiner (3-for-3) collected hits in the first inning ahead of Erin Meeks (1-for-2) getting hit to load the bases. Dixon scored on a wild pitch with the next five runners trotting home on errors.
The Lady Gators loaded the bases in the second and scored their run when Mackenzi Trull was hit by pitch forcing home Dixon.
Meeks clubbed a one-out grandslam homer in the third on an 0-1 pitch scoring Tanley Hewett (walk), Kate Howell (single, 2-for-3) and Joiner (single).
Ware County added three runs in the fourth on a two-run single by Annie Ray and a run-scoring single by Lexi Howell.
Glynn Academy’s runs came in the third inning.
Game 1
Lady Gators 8
Greenbrier 7
A two-out, bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning capped the Lady Gators’ rally from a seven-run deficit.
Greenbrier did all of its damage in the first three innings. The Lady Wolfpack scored five times in their first trip to the plate and twice in the third in building a 7-0 lead.
Ware County, which had just one base runner and no hits through the first four innings, sent nine batters to the plate in the fifth scoring six times to cut the deficit to 7-6.
Anniston Delk ended a stretch of 10 consecutive Lady Gators being retired with a leadoff walk. Cuylea Martin (1-for-3) and Kate Howell (1-for-3) followed with singles loading the bases.
Molly Smith was hit by a 3-2 pitch forcing home Delk with the first run of the inning. LaNeeya Garrison drew a walk pushing Martin home to get Ware County to within 7-2. Dixon laced a two-run single two pitches later pulling the Lady Gators to within 7-4.
Garrison, who raced to third on Dixon’s (2-for-4) hit, scored on a passed ball. Dixon, after stealing second and advancing to third on the passed ball, scored on Joiner’s (1-for-3) sacrifice fly to right as Ware County closed the deficit to 7-6.
The Lady Gators capitalized on Greenbrier stranding a runner at third base in both the sixth and seventh innings.
Smith drew a leadoff walk to start the seventh and was sacrificed to second by Garrison. A passed ball advancing Smith to third was followed by Dixon’s game-tying, run-scoring single.
Joiner followed with a first-pitch single. Trull’s (1-for-4) two-out, first pitch single loaded the bases keeping the inning alive. A four-pitch walk to Delk followed pushing home Dixon with the game-winning run.
Game 2
Lady Gators 1
Greenbrier 0
Dixon’s one-out single in the bottom of the fifth scored Hewett with the lone run of the game in a classic pitching duel.
Greenbrier managed four hits against Hewett while the Lady Gators collected four of their six hits in the decisive fifth frame.
Hewett (1-for-2) led off the fifth with a single, was sacrificed to second by Kate Howell, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Dixon’s single. Joiner (2-for-3) and Meeks (2-for-3) also collected hits in the inning.
Ware County gunned down a runner at the plate in the top of the first inning for the third out of the inning. The Lady Wolfpack stranded a runner at second in the third, and runners at first in the fourth through the sixth.
The Lady Gators’ scoring opportunities came in the first and fourth innings with runners being left a second.
