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From Staff Reports

 

MONROE, GA – The Southland Academy Softball Team (SAR) saw its season come to an end on Saturday, as the Lady Raiders were swept by George Walton Academy by scores of 9-0 and 10-3 in the first round of the GIAA Class AAA State Tournament.

In the first game, the Lady Bulldogs scored eight runs in the bottom of the second inning on eight hits and took advantage of an error. Then in the bottom of the fourth inning, GWA added another run and it was a deficit that the Lady Raiders could not overcome.

SAR was only able to muster two hits in the game, which came off the bats of Avery Ledger and Gracie Usher. The Lady Raiders struggled against the pitching of GWA starting pitcher Erin Harrelson. Harrelson pitched five scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and striking out eight.

Riley McRee got the start in the circle for the Lady Raiders in Game 1. In a little over an inning, she gave up five runs on six hits and struck out one batter. Ila Johnson came on in relief of McRee and gave up four runs on four hits.

In Game 2, things did not go much better for the Lady Raiders. The Lady Bulldogs scored three runs on four hits in the top of the third inning and then scored three more runs in the top of the fifth on four hits. The Lady Raiders fought back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Ila Johnson doubled to center field and both Avery Ledger and Gracie Usher reached on errors that allowed two runs to score. Then Landry Hart drove in a third run on an RBI single. At this point, the Lady Raiders were back in the game, trailing 6-3.

However, in the top of the sixth inning, the Lady Bulldogs scored a run on three hits, with the big hit being an RBI double by Demere Gray. Then in the top of the seventh, GWA added three more insurance runs on a two-run homer by Harrelson and a fielder’s choice by Hayden Stancil. The deficit was too much for the Lady Raiders to overcome and they went on to lose to the Lady Bulldogs 10-3.

Both Ila Johnson and Avery Ledger went 2 for 4 at the plate with a run scored to lead the Lady Raiders in Game 2 and Landry Hart went 1 for 3 at the plate with an RBI.

Riley McRee started in the circle for the Lady Raiders in Game 2. In a little over six innings, McRee gave up 10 runs on 14 hits.