Vikettes split on state playoff opening day

Published 10:16 pm Thursday, October 26, 2017

Lowndes began play at the Class 7A fast pitch softball state championship tournament in Columbus on Thursday.

The Vikettes won their first game against the Parkview Panthers 5-1, and lost the second game 8-2 to the Etowah Eagles.

Parkview jumped on top of Lowndes 1-0 early in the first game of the tournament, but a three-run shot by Madison May put the Vikettes on top 3-1 at the end of four innings.

Tori Hedgecock provided a little insurance an inning later with a two-run single, scoring Lexi Metts and Sophie Sumner to stake Lowndes to a 5-1 lead that would hold over the final two innings.

In the second game of the tournament, it was the Vikettes who took the early lead when Hedgecock launched a home run over the fence in centerfield in the second inning.

But Etowah tied the game in the top of the third on a Lowndes error in the field.

Hedgecock hit her second solo home run of the game in the bottom of the inning to put the Vikettes back on top, but again, the lead was short lived.

Etowah tied a game on a single before taking the lead on another Lowndes error.

The Eagles extended the lead to 5-2 on a two-run home run, and after a few more Vikettes errors, the advantage was 7-2.

Lowndes would eventually fall 8-2, setting up a game at 2 p.m. today against the winner of a 10 a.m. contest between Lambert and Archer.