Lady Canes Start Season With A Bang

The Lady Hurricane softball team opened up their season on a bright note last Saturday, splitting a doubleheader with the Lady Trojans of Lamar County.

Due to a tragic death of a student at Upson-Lee last Friday, the tournament in which the Lady Canes were playing in Thomaston was cancelled by the Upson County superintendent. The schedule was quickly filled by Lamar County, who was also playing in the tournament, as the two teams met for a doubleheader in Barnesville.

In the first game, Lamar was able to come out on top, clawing back from a 4-1 deficit and scoring the winning run after back to back errors in the bottom of the fifth inning.

In the following game, the outcome was reversed, with the Lady Canes able to withstand a late rally by Lamar in the bottom of the seventh, making the final out at third base after a bases loaded hit had scored two runs. On the play, left fielder Kyla King got the ball in quickly after the single, and the runner that was advancing from first base was thrown out, pitcher Kelsey Vining to third baseman Bailey Rosine, who applied the tag on a bang-bang play to end the game.

The Lady Canes had staked themselves to another 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, in which Lamar was able to climb back into a tie before the Canes responded and put up three runs in the top of the sixth to put the game out of reach.

On Monday, the local ladies traveled to rival Putnam County looking to put another tally in the win column against the War Eagles. The Lady Canes started off hot, plating three quick runs in the top of the first. Hailey Roper reached first on a line drive single to left center, promptly stole second, and then advanced on a passed ball to put herself on third.

Haven Cannon walked, and after a pitching change, promptly stole second. Madelyn Taylor then grounded out, but was able to drive in Roper and break the scoring ice for the Lady Canes. Consecutive hits by McKenzie Diaz and Vining plated two more runs to bring the score to 3-0 Canes.

After a 1-2-3 inning pitched by starter Kylee Schell, the Canes went quietly in the second. Schell threw another 1-2-3 inning, putting the War Eagles down in order before the offensive floodgates opened in the top of the third. Control issues, timely hitting, and aggressive base running allowed them to put up six spots and advance the score to 9-0.

An error, wild pitch, and dying quail single to right field plated a single run for the War Eagles before the floodgates opened again, with five more runs crossing the plate. Once again a lack of control from Putnam pitchers (eight walks were issued) along with timely hitting allowed for the offensive explosion to put the final score at 14-1 with the Canes on top.

The win moved the Lady Canes early season record to 2-1, with a game on the docket for today, August 10 at Warner Robins. They will open their home slate August 14 against Banks County, before burning up the road again in contests at Griffin and at Northeast High School.