Lady Hurricane Softball Wins Thriller
The last few weeks for the Monticello Lady Hurricane softball program have been quite tumultuous, to say the least. What had the looks of a historical season with a deep run in the playoffs was turned upside down with the word that the Lady Hurricanes had played an ineligible player.
This was turned into the GHSA, self-reported, and the GHSA required that the team forfeit their 14 wins up to that point. What had been a 14-5 season with a definite lock on the two seed going into the region playoffs became a must win situation to have a chance to even see postseason play in that same region tournament.
The Lady Canes had already received one win due to a forfeit by Towers, and now faced three games remaining, all region games, against Putnam and Lamar Counties to advance.
Last Monday the Lady Canes traveled to Putnam County for the first of the must win games. Facing a Putnam squad that they were now battling for the four-seed, the Lady Canes came out firing on all cylinders and winning by a 19-0 margin.
Kylee Schell picked up the win, pitching a perfect game in the three inning affair, while striking out four. The Lady Canes were able to push across their 19 runs on just seven hits in the contest, reaching by walk 11 times, and on seven errors by the Putnam defense.
Kam Davis led the bats with four runs batted in for the contest, and the Roper sisters, Hailey and Gracie had two hits apiece. Senior Madelyn Taylor led the team with three runs scored, along with Hailey.
Last Tuesday was the big game for the Lady Canes as they welcomed Lamar County to the friendly confines of the Hurricane Athletic Complex. The game was a back and forth swing in momentum, with the Lady Canes starting out hot, plating six runs in the first two innings, only to see their lead evaporate and turn into a two-run deficit when the Lady Trojans pushed across eight runs of their own in the third and fourth innings.
The score stayed this way through the fifth and the top of the sixth, when the Hurricanes came to the plate for the bottom half. With one out, Taylor looped a single to right, followed by a bunt single by H. Roper to put runners on first and second, but Taylor, who was attempting to advance to third was called out on a close play at the bag.
This put two outs on the board, with the Canes still down by two. Davis came up big, shooting a hard single to left to put runners on the corners. Davis then stole second on the first pitch, and Roper scored two pitches later on a passed ball to narrow the margin to 8-7.
Junior Haven Cannon came through in a big way when, with two strikes, she singled to center on a line drive scoring Davis to knot the score at 8-all. A walk to Vining, coupled with a stolen base by Cannon put runners at first and second, bringing up Kaylee Gentes, who had been swinging it well the last two games. After three consecutive foul balls in a battle at the plate, Gentes hit a line drive to right. Cannon, who was running on contact came around to score, and give the Lady Canes a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish in the come from behind victory. Vining set the Trojans down in order in the top of the seventh to secure the victory.
The Lady Canes celebrated senior night against Putnam this Tuesday in their regular season finale. The single elimination region tournament will begin on October 8, with the Lady Canes playing at noon. Come out and support the Lady Canes!