LMA Sweeps Three Games on Saturday to Make Championships
Lady Cats to face Pinewood Prep for SCISA AAAA crown.
By Dennis Brunson
hssr.com Associate Editor
Sumter -- Buddy Truett was not a happy man following his Laurence Manning Academy softball team's 3-1 loss to Pinewood Prep on Friday in its second game in the SCISA AAAA state tournament at Patriot Park SportPlex. The loss dropped the Lady 'Cats into the losers bracket, meaning they had a lot of work to do on Saturday.
"I was probably too tough on them yesterday," Truett said on Saturday with 20/20 hindsight.,
That being said, LMA won three games on Saturday, including sweeping a pair from arch rival Wilson Hall to win its half of the bracket and keep alive its hopes of winning a third straight state title. Laurence Manning beat Heathwood Hall 6-1 in an eliminaiton game to get to the Barons. It won the first game 12-0 in five innings and jumped out to a 5-1 lead after one inning of the deciding game before holding on for a 6-4 triumph.
The Lady 'Cats will play Pinewood Prep, which went undefeated in winning its bracket by topping John Paul II 3-0 on Saturday. The first game of the best-of-3 series between the Panthers, who are undefeated at 27-0 and 17-4 LMA is scheduled to be played on Monday.
"They wanted to stay and watch Wilson Hall (face John Paul II on Friday), and I said, 'You've got to get to them first (by beating Heathwood).' I was mad so I made them ride the bus home and watch the game on GameChanger.
I got them up this morning and made them hit the cage at 6:30am. 'They changed their approach. If these two games against our rival doesn't give them confidence, nothing will."
After the win over the Highlanders, Caroline Welch shut WH, which finished 21-7, down. Wilson Hall head coach Teresa Alexander said it just wasn't meant to be for her team on Saturday.
"I think yesterday we played as polished and as near perfect softball as we could have," Alexander said. "Offensively, defensively, in the circle, we played darn near flawless softball yesterday. It was very exciting to be in the position where we were and to get through that yesterday.
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"They came out on fire with their offense in Game 1. I'm not going to say I was surprised. I know how great of hitters they have in their lineup top to bottom.
In the second game, we fought and we scratched and we were so close so many times. I didn't have great words to say to my team other than today just wasn't our day. Today is their day and you just have to tip your hat when the other team plays well."
The Barons were the visiting team in the second game and actually got out to a 1-0 lead. Caroline Moorman doubled off of seventh-grader Avert Floyd, making her first varsity start, with two outs. Anna Meldrim followed with a single to score her.
Marsha Kate Skey started in the circle for WH. She retired Marlee Black to start the inning before giving up a single to Kendall Tanner, who then stole second. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lyza Prickelmyer, and Ashley Rae Hodge delivered her with a single to tie the game.
Then the floodgates opened.
Welch reached on an infield single, and Lily Wellborn followed with an RBI single to make it 2-1. Maggie Welch then ripped a 2-run double to make it 4-1 and end Skey's night pitching. She was replaced by Lilly Grace Przybyla, who promptly hit Gracie Lyles with a pitch. Olivia Welch followed wth an RBI single to score Maggie Welch and make it 5-1.
"That was huge," Truett said of seeing his team post the 5 spot. "The first game helped tremendously with the second game. We finally hit the ball today like we did at the beginning of the year."
Przybyla held Laurence Manning in check the rest of the way except for one run in the fourth after the Barons had cut the lead to 5-3. Black legged out a bunt single, stole second and got to third on a Hodge single.She scored on a sacrifice fly by Caroline Welch.
After giving up a leadoff single to Tatian Ehrichsen to begin the second, Floyd set down seven batters in a row, the final one being Meldrim to open the fourth. Caroline Andrews singled to break that run and Ehrichsen doubled her home to make it 5-2. Pryzbyla singled to score Ehrichsen and cut the lead to 5-3.
Floyd struggled again in the fifth. Mary Paisley Geddings led off with a single. After an out, Moorman reached on an infield single before Meldrim hit a grounder to Hodge at shortstop. She flipped the ball to Wellborn at third base, but she couldn't handled the throw. That left the bases loaded, and Truett made the decision to bring Caroline Welch to the mound.
Andrews sent her first pitch on a low line seemingly into left field for at lead one run and perhaps a game-tying two. However, Wellborn redeemed herself, snagging the line drive and stepping on third to double off Geddings and end the threat.
"How about my seventh-grader toting the mail and Caroline coming in there and finishing it out," Truett said. Floyd allowed six hits and no walks while striking out two in 4 1/3 innings to get the win. Welch worked 2 2/3 innigns to get the save, but the Barons did not go quietly in the seventh.
WH started the inning at the top of its batting order with Geddings. Welch got her to fly out but Skey followed with a single. Moorman followed with a fly out for the second out before Meldrim singled. Andrews hit another hot shot that hit off the glove of a diving Wellborn to send it on an odd route to the outfield. When time was called, a run was in and Wilson Hall had runners on second adn third. However, Welch got Erichsen to fly out to end the game.
Laurence Manning finished with 11 hits. Prickelmyer, Black and Wellborn had two hits apiece, Wellborn finishing with a run scored and a run batted in and Black with a run. Maggie Welch had a double, two RBI and a run, while Hodge and Caroline Welch had a hit, a run and an RBI. Olivia Welch had a hit and an RBI, and Tanner had a hit and a run.
Wilson Hall also had 11 hits. Andrews, Meldrim, Moorman and Erichsen had two apiece. Andrews and Erichsen both had a run and an RBI, while Meldrim had and RBI and Moorman scored a run.Przybyla had a hit and an RBI, and Skey and Geddings each had a hit.
