Ware County suffered losses to state-ranked opponents to remain winless through the first two weeks of the season.
The Lady Gators (0-4-1) dropped a 19-7 decision in five innings Tuesday, August 20 to visiting Class 5A seventh-ranked South Effingham. Ware County fell 12-0 in four innings Thursday, August 22 in Baxley to Class 2A top-ranked and unbeaten Appling County for the season sweep. The Lady Pirates posted a 13-4 victory August 13.
Ware County opened region play Tuesday, August 27 hosting Perry. The Lady Gators will entertain Glynn Academy Thursday, August 29.
No. 7 S. Effingham ...................................19 Lady Gators ...............................................7
The Lady Mustangs scored the last 11 runs of the game ending the game early with a nine-run fifth.
Ware County spotted the visitors a 5-0 lead through their first two at-bats before plating six runs in the bottom of the second for a 6-5 lead.
South Effingham scored on a pair of singles in the first frame for a 2-0 lead. A three-run homer in the second inning upped the margin to 5-0.
The Lady Gators sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom half of the inning in scoring six times for a one-run advantage. A leadoff single by Kallie Lairsey (1-for-3) was followed by an error on a ball hit by Ella Musgrove and a walk to Kayleigh LeMay loading the bases.
Molly Smith’s (2-for-4) one-out double sliced the deficit to 5-2. A two-out double off Reagan Middleton’s (1-for-3) pulled Ware County to within 5-4.
The hit was followed by a two-base error on a ball hit by Ashlyn Jacobs (1-for-2) tying the score and Amberley Padgett’s (1-for-3) run-scoring single for a 6-5 lead.
South Effingham responded with a three-run rally in the top of the third. Consecutive two-out, run-scoring doubles and a run-scoring single over a four-pitch sequence gave the Lady Mustangs the lead for good at 86.
The Lady Gators scored their final run in the bottom of the inning after two outs and nobody on base. Smith singled and advanced to second on the outfield miscue. Kara Coleman (2-for-3) followed with a single to center driving home Smith to close the deficit to 8-7.
The Lady Mustangs scored twice in the fourth for a 10-7 advantage and chased home nine runs in the fifth sending 13 batters to the plate. The big blow was a grandslam homer capping the outburst.
No. 1 Appling County ....................................12 Lady Gators ...................................................0
BAXLEY — Appling County’s Presley Harrison, a University of Georgia commit, overpowered the Lady Gators twirling a two-hit shutout.
Harrison, who no-hit Wayne County two days earlier while fanning 14, recorded 10 of the 12 outs against Ware County via strikeout.
The Lady Pirates scored once in the first, six in the second and five in the third to win the “mercy rule” matchup.
Smith and Coleman each went 1-for-2 for the Lady Gators.
