TIFTON —
The Tiftarea Academy Lady Panthers made good use of four home runs and a 9-run seventh inning Tuesday to defeat the Lady Eagles of Terrell Academy in Dawson, 19-5.
Tiftarea took an early lead when Lakyn Souter led off the game with a double and scored on a Jarrett McWhorter hit in the first inning. In the second, Lindsey Selph hit a solo home run to left center. The score would remain 2-0 until the fifth when Madi Smith led off with a single and scored on a Rachel Davis two-run homer. Five batters later, Erin Register drove in two runs with a single with the bases loaded.
Terrell would score five runs in the bottom of the fifth, but in the sixth, the Lady Panthers would answer back with runs of their own when Selph hit a two-run blast, scoring Caitlyn Albritton.
The seventh inning would be the biggest for Tiftarea. The Lady Panthers scored nine runs when Selph drove in two on her third homer of the day and RBI singles from McWhorter and Macy Strenth. Albritton would contribute twice in the inning with a two-run double and an RBI single.
Selph’s three home runs and runs batted in led the Tiftarea offense. Albritton had three hits and three RBI and McWhorter added three hits and two RBI. Brooke Keen pitched a complete game, giving up three earned runs and striking out three.
The win improves Tiftarea’s season record to 21-6 and 8-1 in the region.
In the junior varsity game, the Lady Panthers defeated Terrell Academy, 15-0, in three innings. Strenth went 2-2 with five RBI, including an inside-the-park grand slam.
Ragen Lassiter and Jordyn Sumner split the pitching duties and held the Lady Eagles without a hit.
The Lady Panthers travel to Albany today to play Sherwood Christian at 4 p.m. with a junior varsity game to follow.
In the final home game of the junior varsity softball season, the Tiftarea Academy Lady Panthers needed only three innings to defeat the Citizens Christian Lady Patriots, 15-0.
Sixth grader Ragen Lassiter pitched a no-hitter, striking out eight and walking only one. Lassiter also contributed at the plate, going 2-3 with a double and three runs batted in. Seventh grader Melissa McKay added an inside-the-park grand slam.
Tiftarea Academy improves to 12-0 with the victory. They will travel to Douglas next Monday for another game with Citizens Christian.
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