VALDOSTA —
Lowndes kept its hopes of a third straight region softball title alive with an 11-0 victory over Camden County in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader at the Morris-Coats Field of Dreams.
The Vikettes (19-7) are now 8-2 in Region 1-6A, two games behind first place Tift County with two games left to play. Tift comes to Lowndes’ ballpark on Tuesday for the doubleheader that will decide the region champion.
“It’s going to be a war. It’s going to come down to who makes the plays,” Lowndes head coach Stewart Thomas said. “When we set our goals at the beginning of the season, we (wanted to) give ourselves a chance to win a region championship. Here we are.”
The Vikettes lost the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader with Camden, 2-0. Then they took the field for game 2, and dominated.
“(Some early runs) got us the momentum. Once we get the momentum, we’re tough to beat,” Thomas said.
Lowndes jumped out to a quick lead in the first inning of game 2. Leading off the game, Cara Parker lined a double down the left field line. Chelsea Mefford bunted, and when the throw to first got away, Parker raced home to give the Vikettes a 1-0 lead.
Then Lowndes put four runs on the scoreboard. Becca Prairie doubled with one out. Then Heather Robinson jumped on a pitch and blasted a long fly ball over the center field fence for a two-run homer. Robinson’s eighth homer of the season gave Lowndes a 3-0 lead.
Madison Floyd walked, then Kendall Holland hit a line drive over the center fielder’s head for a double, putting runners on second and third. Pinch runner LaGhia Woods tagged up and scored on Wendy Palmer’s fly ball to left, then Holland raced home on a wild pitch to extend the Vikettes’ lead to 5-0.
Camden threatened in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with one out. But Bishop got Kimber Lewis to ground to Robinson, who threw home for the force out. Then she struck out Caitlin Annuziata to end the inning.
Lowndes exploded for six runs in the top of the fifth, and put the game away. Leading off the inning, Woods lined a single off the third baseman’s glove. Holland walked, and the two runners moved up on a passed ball. One out later, Tiffany Bishop laid down a bunt. The pitcher threw home, but Woods beat the throw. When the ball got away from the catcher, Holland took off for home and scored, too, making it 7-0.
With two outs, Parker lined a double into the gap in left center, driving in Bishop. Mefford and Prairie followed with two more doubles that went to the fence in left center, and two more runs crossed the plate. Robinson’s single scored Jada McGilberry to increase Lowndes’ lead to 11-0.
That was plenty of run support for Bishop, who shut Camden down in the bottom of the fifth to close out a two-hit shutout.
“She’s our workhorse,” Thomas said. “She’s as consistent as I’ve ever had. ... (She’s) giving us a chance to win. And that’s all you can ask of a pitcher.”
In game 1, Camden pitcher Tiffany Massey tossed a five-hit shutout in game 1 and led the Lady Wildcats to a 2-0 win.
The game’s only runs were scored in the top of the fourth. Lewis singled and Annuziata walked, then the two runners moved up on a wild pitch. Brittany Parker singled home Lewis, then Abby Wright’s sacrifice fly brought home Annuziata and gave the Lady Wildcats a 2-0 lead.
Lowndes had its chances to score, but each time the Vikettes mounted a serious threat, Massey made a big pitch to escape the inning.
“We needed a spark, and didn’t get it,” Thomas said. “We needed somebody to come up with a big hit, or somebody to do something to get us a spark, and we just didn’t get it.”
In the bottom of the second, Wendy Palmer hit a two-out triple and Bishop drew a walk, putting runners on the corners. But Massey got a ground ball for the third out.
Two innings later, Lowndes loaded the bases after Robinson singled, Holland was hit by a pitch and Bishop walked. But Camden center fielder Cori Boeck caught Meredith McLendon’s line drive, and the Vikettes came up empty again.
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Vikettes split 2 games with Camden
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