Lady Devils punch ticket to state softball tournament

Published 4:00 pm Thursday, October 6, 2022

LEESBURG — The Lady Devils are going dancing. Needing to win two of their three Region 1-6A games this week, Tift County swept the set and will be in the Class 6A state playoffs when they begin in two weeks.

Tift, which will be the No. 4 seed in the region. A day after defeating Lee, they learned they would face South Effingham in the first round of the state tournament. South Effingham wrapped up its region title with a 1-0 victory over Effingham County.

The Lady Devils wrapped up region by winning 7-4 and 8-7 games at Lee County Oct. 5. After defeating Thomas County Central a day earlier, they had needed just one victory to clinch the fourth seed.

“We end up sweeping the week,” said head coach Taylor Barber. Fourth is not the ideal position for any softball team in state, but Barber said he reminded them lately that seed numbers do not mean much in the playoffs. “Get hot at the right time,” he said.

The bats have been smoking hot lately, but Loralee Bennett’s hitting is somehow a step above even that. She belted two home runs in the second game against Lee, including a crucial grand slam. Bennett had six hits on the afternoon, drove in five runs and scored three.

They jumped out 3-1 in the 1st inning and never let go in the opener. Lee went ahead 5-3 in the 5th inning of the nightcap. By the time the Lady Trojans batted again, they were down 8-5, courtesy of the Bennett slam.

Lily Robinson and Emily Rowe won one game each against Lee and Robinson earned the save in the second game.

“Emily threw the ball well,” said Barber. After five innings, he thought the Lady Trojans were beginning to figure her out. Gracee Wood was not 100% to pitch, so Robinson got the call again. Barber described her work as “jam up” for the day.

Tift got some defensive help Wednesday from an expected but source, but in an unexpected place.

Catcher Angie Martinez took an accidental shot in the first game when fielding a ball in play. She bled from a gash to the nose, but remained in the game after being bandaged up. Martinez finished the first contest and started the second one, but Barber gave her a break near the end.

Gracee Wood took over catching duties and got to display her cannon of an arm in the 7th inning, throwing out a would-be base stealer for the second out.

The Lady Devils started the doubleheader with three quick runs. Bailee Williams doubled in Bennett, Macy Hand doubled in Williams and Delanie Jewell drove in Hand.

Martinez made it 4-1 in the 3rd, scoring on a passed ball. Minutes later, Ella Bruce doubled in Kensie Law, who was running for Robinson.

Lee got as close as 5-3, but Jewell scored an insurance run on an Abby Henderson single. The seventh run, by Martinez, was more than enough to win.

In the second contest, Bennett hit solo homer in the 1st and Hand singled in Wood for a quick 2-0 start. It went to 3-0 in the 3rd on an RBI groundout by Hand, which scored Bennett.

The Lady Trojans scored five over the next three frames to go ahead. It didn’t stay that way. Barber said they were playing free and easy after clinching state.

Law struck out but reached anyway on a passed ball, with Hand coming home. Robinson, Henderson and Bruce were on base when Bennett stepped in the box.

After working the count to 1-1, Bennett unloaded, homering over the centerfield wall.

Lee cut the score to 8-7 in the 6th, but Robinson battled through and Wood eliminated their chances in the 7th.

Tift went 7-8 in region competition in 2022, the most wins they’ve had against conference opponents since 2015.

Barber raved about how well they played against 1-6A. They had a team average of .334.

Bennett hit .519 against the rest of the region, with four homers, 19 RBIs and 18 runs scored. Martinez hit .417, driving in 12 runs. Williams also had 12 RBIs in those 15 games.

Eight players hit at least .300 against 1-6A teams and five scored at least 11 runs over the 15 games. Robinson and Rowe won three games apiece.

Tift was scheduled to take on Cairo Oct. 6. They wrap up the regular season with Colquitt County Oct. 10, Crisp County Oct. 11 and Worth County Oct. 12. Colquitt and Crisp are at home.