Lady Warriors Get Walk Off Victory

The Cherokee Bluff Bears came North on Tuesday to face off against the Lady Warriors of White County in a 7-AAA softball game. Cherokee Bluff, a new high school in Hall County, has started off slow in the 2018 season at 4-12 overall and 0-7 in the region and yet they are no easy task to defeat on the field.  White Co. came in at 10-5 overall and 5-3 in region 7-AAA and trying to keep pace with teams to them in the standings.

Tuesday’s game saw two teams play extremely well in the field with neither team committing an error in the game. Offensively these two teams put up a combined 25 hits and yet only 7 runners crossed the plate in the game.  The Bears put one run on the board in the second inning and two runs up in the third to hold an early lead that would hold into the sixth over the Lady Warriors.  White Co. batter had 6 hits, a walk and hit batter through the fifth but could not get anyone across the dish.  With nothing happening in the top of the sixth the Bears went quietly in their half inning.  Finding themselves down by three runs and only two more chances in regulation , the Lady Warriors came to the plate.  The bottom of the sixth set the stage for the Lady Warriors.  With four hits in the inning the Lady Warrior bats once again came to life and scored two runs and placing them down by one heading into the seventh inning.  Once again with Reagan Dunagan in the circle the Bears were held to a zero on the board.  Having just one chance and three outs to change the number on the scoreboard, the Lady Warriors came through and put one across the plate by way of a walk(Katy Palmer) and back to back to back singles by Abby Taylor, McKenzie Ramey, and Kelsey Anderson.  Ramey crossed the plate to tie the game at three a piece at the end of the seventh.

Heading into extra innings the eighth and ninth were fairly quiet for the Bears getting only two runners on base.  The Lady Warriors would get one runner on in their half of the eighth and couldn’t get her across and forcing a ninth inning in the game.  The number nine proved to be a good one for the Lady Warriors.  Katy Palmer led off with a single on a one ball and one strike count and becoming the winning run for White Co.  Stepping in to the batters box for the Lady Warriors, Abby Taylor worked the Bears pitcher to a three ball and one strike count. Knowing her opponent didn’t want walk her and move Palmer to second, Taylor was looking for a strike to hit.  Taylor got that pitch and hit a line drive to right field.  With each base Taylor touched she knew that Palmer was a base in front.  As Abby Taylor stopped on third base, Katy Palmer had crossed home plate giving the White Co. Lady Warriors a win in walk-off fashion.

Pitching a great game and getting the win for White was Reagan Dunagan.  Dunagan threw 133 pitches allowing 9 hits, 3 runs(2 earned), 5 strikeouts and no walks.  At the plate the Lady Warriors had 16 hits on the day with four having a multiple hit game.  Abby Taylor-3 for 5 with 1 RBI. Katy Ramey-3 for 4 with run scored, Reagan Dunagan-3 for 4 and Annika Vandiver-3 for 3 with RBI.  There were four other Lady Warriors with one hit each.

Next up for White Co. will be a travel game as they head to Clarke Central in Athens.  Start time is 5:00 PM.