TIFTON —
The red hot Tift County Lady Devils will kick off the Class AAAAAA softball tourna- ment today, hosting the Harrison High Lady Hoyas of Kennesaw in a double- header, starting at 5 p.m.
Last week, the Lady Devils defeated Lowndes to secure the Region 1- AAAAAA title and finish out their regular season at an amazing 25-3.
“It was good to win region,” head coach Taylor Wilkins said. “I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished.”
Harrison (17-11) is the No. 4 team out of Region 4-AAAAAA. Despite the Lady Devils’ outstanding record and No. 1 seed, Wilkins said his squad could not look beyond their opponents.
“We can’t look ahead,” he said.
“I think they’ll be a solid team,” he said. “They have two pretty good pitchers.”
Wilkins said he expects the games to be low scoring, adding that the Lady Devils would have to stick their own routine in the series.
He said he was happy that Tift County would host these games, not just because they were home games, but that it meant the Lady Devils would not have to travel. He said they would be able to maintain their schedule, something that would be much more difficult for Harrison. Kennesaw is 185 miles from Tifton.
The winner of the series will advance to play the winner in the series between the Rockdale County Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Tigers of Douglas County. If the Lady Devils can survive both rounds, they will travel to Columbus for the 8-team, 3-day, double elimination state tournament finals.
Though the Lady Devils’ season last year was ended by losses to East Coweta in the first round of the state playoffs, those are not the games on the mind of Wilkins. He instead thinks of games two years ago.
After sweeping the Bradwell Institute Lady Tigers in the first round of state, Tift County played their second round games on the road. They went to Kennesaw. There they played Harrison High. In the first game, they fell 1-0. Harrison would complete the sweep with an 8-1 victory in the second game.
Wilkins said matching up with the Lady Hoyas again would be difficult.
“We know it’s going to be a tough challenge.”
He said freshman Adriana Durden would be the starting pitcher for the first game.
Durden and senior Ashlyn Jones, who Wilkins said he expects to use in the second game, have been the rocks of the Lady Devils’ pitching corps.
The two have similar numbers. Each has 12 victories on the season and are giving up less than one earned run per game; Durden’s ERA is 0.63 while Jones’ is 0.69. Jones has struck out 96 batters in 81 innings pitched and Durden has fanned 142 in 89 innings.
Offensively, the Lady Devils are balanced, with the team’s statistical leaders spread among several different players.
Allison Walker is the team leader in runs, with 34 and stolen bases at 28. Chelle McKellar has the best average at .406 and leads the squad with 41 hits while Taylor Simmons is tops in RBIs (29) and doubles (9).
Today’s games are also scheduled to air on WTIF. Wilkins said he believes that the radio coverage is the first during his tenure at Tift County High.
“We think it’s good exposure for our program,” he said.
The Lady Devils will play their home games at the stadium at Tift County High. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. for the opening game and 7 p.m. for the second half of the doubleheader. If game three is required, it will be played at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Homepage
Related Photos
-
TIFT COUNTY
October 9, 2012
Hot Lady Devils host Harrison
- Local News
-
-
Tift County Teacher of the Year: It’s an honor to be recognized for what you love to do
Tift County Teacher of the Year Shonta Walker and Seth Spurlin, first grader at Omega Elementary School.
This year’s 2013-14 Tift County Teacher of the Year is Omega Elementary School’s very own Shonta Walker. She is also her school’s Teacher of the Year.
Continued ... - Risk assessment website to help tomato growers
- TCHS seniors named 2013 Georgia Scholars
- Downtown Farmer's Market opens Saturday
- Police report for May 17
-
- Local Sports
-
Eric Lee pitches against Tattnall Square in game one, a 4-1 loss by the Panthers. They would win game two 6-3 before falling in 14 innings Saturday, 6-2.
-
Tattnall Square tops Tiftarea, 6-2
Ernie Banks used to say, "let's play two." In a game that was as long as two and was defined early on by errors and later by a pitching duel, it would be offense that propelled the Tattnall Square Trojans past the Tiftarea Academy Panthers, 6-2 in 14 innings. Tattnall, who won the first game of the series, 4-1 before dropping game two, 6-3, will meet Mount de Sales in the Class AAA semifinals next week.
- Loop the Lake coming June 1
- Tiftarea-Tattnall split
- Tiftarea hosts defending state champs
- First inning dooms Devils
-
Tattnall Square tops Tiftarea, 6-2
- Explore
-
-
Embrace glorious stories with a visit to LaGrange, Ga.
Guess who cooked my lunch on a jaunt to LaGrange, Georgia? The great-great grandson of the legendary town philanthropist, that’s who.
- Explore the edges Mississippi Gulf Coast
- St. Augustine: Abounding with excellence suiting every taste
-
Embrace glorious stories with a visit to LaGrange, Ga.
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Police Reports
- Your Agenda
Raw: Accused US Spy Reportedly Leaves Russia
AP CEO: Records Seizure 'Unconstitutional'
Fatal Hot Air Balloon Accident in Turkey
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
'Babyland': Camp Lejeune's Toxic Legacy?
Raw: Heavy Tornado Damage in Shawnee, Okla
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
