Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
The Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowgirls finished a three-game home stretch in dramatic fashion on Thursday, Feb. 25, when Carter Gore belted a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to seal a 6-5 victory over the Lady Tigers of Columbia County High School. With that win, the Cowgirls evened their record to 2-2 for the season and winning two out of three games at Cowgirl Field for the week.
The week began with a contest with the Lady Indians of Ft. White High School on Monday, Feb. 22. It was a cold, damp and foggy night, but the weather did little to dampen the spirits of the Cowgirl fans who were ready for some softball after last season was cut short. The Cowgirls were off to a good start, but, in the end, it was the Lady Indians who had the hot bats down the stretch and won the contest 9-6. The Cowgirls went out to an early 2-1 lead after the first inning, but the Lady Indians rallied with a five-run third inning to take the lead. The Cowgirls tied the score in the bottom of the third, but the Lady Indians pulled ahead again in the fifth inning and added two insurance runs in the sixth to put the game away.
Brianna Thompson had a good game at the plate, going 3-4, with two RBIs and a home run. Josie Driggers went 2-3, with one RBI. Kelsie Shea Thompson had one hit in her three trips to the plate, with one RBI.
Mackenzi Bochnia, Driggers and Halie Wetherington all combined efforts in the pitcher's circle for the Cowgirls, giving up 10 hits, seven earned runs, 10 walks and striking out seven.
The Cowgirls bounced back in a big way on Tuesday, Feb. 23, when they defeated the Lady Bulldogs of Suwannee High School, 19-9, in a high-scoring affair. The Cowgirls went out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning. After giving up two runs in the top of the second, the Cowgirls scored five runs in the bottom half of the and eight in the bottom half of the third. The Lady Bulldogs added two in the fourth inning and four in the top half of the fifth inning. The game was called during the bottom of the fifth inning when Wetherington scored a run on a double by Brianna Thompson with one out in the bottom of the fifth, to put the score at 19-9.
Driggers had two hit in her five at-bats, with one RBI. Wetherington went two-for-five, with one RBI. Brianna Thompson had one hit in her four trips to the plate, with two RBIs. Gore went 3-4 in the batter's box, with three RBIs and one homer. Morgan Sevor went 2-4, with three RBIs and a home run. Samya Wright had one hit in three at-bats, with one RBI.
Wetherington pitched 4.2 innings for the Cowgirls, giving up eight hits, four earned runs and four walks, with four strike-outs. Driggers came in for the final out of the fifth inning, giving up one hit.
On Thursday, Feb. 25, the Cowgirls faced the Lady Tigers of Columbia County High School. It was a dramatic finish when the Cowgirls won 6-5, in extra innings. Just as they had in earlier games, the Cowgirls went out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Lady Tigers pulled ahead in the top of the second. The lead continued to go back and forth throughout the contest. Then, in the bottom of the seventh inning, with their backs against the wall, Wetherington scored on a Sevor sacrifice fly to tie the score and send the contest into extra innings. Then, in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the score still knotted at five runs each, Gore sent the ball sailing over the left-field fence for a dramatic walk-off homer, sealing the win for the Cowgirls.
Driggers went 2-5 at the plate, with one RBI. Brianna Thompson went one-for-three, with two RBIs and a homer. Gore had two hits in her four at-bats, with one RBI, courtesy of her four-bagger. Sevor had two hits in three trips to the plate, with one RBI.
Driggers went the distance in the pitcher's circle for the Cowgirls, giving up six hits, four earned runs, six walks, while fanning 15 batters.
The Cowgirls will return to Cowgirl Field on Thursday, March 4, for a contest against the Lady Cougars of Godby High School, from Tallahassee. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.