VALDOSTA —
Lowndes’ softball team went 5-0 last weekend at the Vikette Invitational at Freedom Park.
The Vikettes won three of their games by mercy rule, and got a no-hitter from ace Tiffany Bishop in another win. The wins improved Lowndes’ record to 14-3 this season.
“I thought we did really well,” head coach Stewart Thomas said. “I thought we swung the bats well. One of the biggest things I was looking for (us to do) this tournament was to really start getting our bats cranked up heading into region play, and we did. We swung it really well. We had some girls step up. ... Hopefully this will give them the confidence to continue (hitting) through region and state playoff play.”
Becca Prairie had a tremendous tournament for Lowndes. The freshman catcher hit two home runs and had four multi-hit games.
“(Becca) had a very good tournament,” Thomas said.
Lowndes began the tournament with a 5-4 win over Jeff Davis on Friday. Prairie and Wendy Palmer both hit home runs for the Vikettes, and drove in two runs each. Prairie was 2 for 4. Bishop was the winning pitcher.
In its next game, Lowndes pounded crosstown rival Valdosta 17-7. Prairie went 3 for 5 with a home run, a triple and five RBIs. All-State shortstop Cara Parker was 2 for 5 with two doubles. Victoria Barber was the winning pitcher.
In its final game of the night, Lowndes routed another Region 1-6A rival, Tift County, 10-2. Heather Robinson went 3 for 3, hit two home runs and drove in six runs for the Vikettes. Parker was 3 for 3 with two doubles. Eason got the win.
On Saturday morning, the Vikettes routed Echols County 11-3. Kendall Holland went 2 for 3 with a home run. Prairie, Robinson and Keeli Jackson also had two hits. Eason was the winning pitcher.
In Lowndes’ final game of the tournament, Bishop pitched a no-hitter in the Vikettes’ 4-0 victory over Cook. She struck out five batters.
“(Tiffany) did a very good job,” Thomas said. “She’s been very big for us this year. Game in and game out, she’s given us a chance to win. And that’s what you ask of your pitchers.”
Prairie went 3 for 4 and drove in all four of Lowndes’ runs. Madison Floyd was 2 for 3.
This weekend, Lowndes will compete in the Grayson-Brookwood Invitational in metro Atlanta. Then the Vikettes will close out the regular season with doubleheaders against Region 1-6A opponents Valdosta (at home on Sept. 27), Camden County (on Sept. 29 in Kingsland) and Tift County (at home Oct. 2). Tift currently leads the region at 6-0, with Lowndes 5-1 and Camden in third place at 4-3.
“It’s all going to come down to the end of the year,” Thomas said.
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Cook went 3-2 in the Vikette Invitational, with both of its losses coming to 6A schools. The Lady Hornets routed Echols 15-0, Thomas County Central 10-2 and Valdosta 18-5, but lost 4-0 to Lowndes and 6-3 to Tift.
Echols, the smallest school in the tournament, went 1-4, but beat Jeff Davis 6-5. Valdosta lost all five of its games.
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Lowndes goes 5-0 at Vikette Invitational
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