By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The local softball teams jumped into a new season on Saturday, playing three hard-fought games in the Hope for a Day Classic at Troup High.

All three teams went 1-1, and they were on the field for about a combined eight hours.

In the final game, Troup and Callaway played a marathon, with the home team hanging on for a 19-16 victory.

In the first game, Camden Smith threw a gem as LaGrange blanked Troup 4-0, and Callaway outlasted LaGrange 10-7 in the second game.

For LaGrange and Troup, the games served as a tune-up for the start of region play this week.

Callaway, meanwhile, won’t begin its region schedule until Aug. 20.

In Saturday’s opening game, Smith tossed a three-hitter as LaGrange began its season with a 4-0 win over Troup.

LaGrange returned to the field a short time later and lost to Callaway 10-7 while committing six errors.

“Sometimes it’s nice to have some tough games at the beginning of the season so we can know there are those things we need to work on,” said Gabby Heath, LaGrange’s head coach. “You get exposed, so let’s fix them. Let’s work, and fine-tune what we need to do to be successful.”

Troup, after opening with a loss to LaGrange, ended the day with a wild, back-and-forth, 19-16 win over Callaway.

“There were a couple of mental mistakes, but we bounced back from them and didn’t let one mental mistake turn into two,” Troup head coach Kayla Yeargin said. “It was OK, I need to do better on the next play, and they did.”

Callaway head coach Robyn McCann was pleased with the way her players competed against teams in higher classifications.

“I’m thrilled to death,” McCann said. “We’re a Class AA school playing Class AAAAA schools, and we’re staying right in there with them. I told them I was proud of them.”

McCann used the day as an opportunity to use some players in different spots on the field, and she was happy with what she saw.

“We went ahead today and tried some people in different positions, and we liked what we saw today,” McCann said. “It’s all going to work out.”

Here’s a recap of each game:

GAME ONE

LaGrange 4, Troup 0

Camden Smith, after two outstanding seasons to begin her high-school career, began her junior season with a dominant performance against rival Troup.

Smith limited Troup to three hits while striking out 10 batters, and she didn’t walk anyone.

Troup’s Maggie McDonald also had a solid outing on the mound, holding LaGrange to seven hits and two earned runs while striking out three.

LaGrange scored single runs in the first, second, sixth and seventh innings.

Abby Vanhoose and Jacee Marable each had two hits for LaGrange, and Camden Smith and Kirsten Williams each had a hit and an RBI.

Macee Stone had a hit while walking twice.

Avery Pearson, Maggie McDonald and Caroline McInvale each had one hit for Troup.

GAME TWO

Callaway 10, LaGrange 7

Callaway broke open a tie game with five runs in the sixth inning to secure the victory.

Callaway had 11 hits, and it also took advantage of six LaGrange errors.

Leadoff hitter Leijorey Sanders had two hits and three runs scored for Callaway, and Kourtney Grier had three hits and an RBI.

Faith Horton had a hit and three RBIs, McKenzie Rhodes had two hits and two RBIs, Aaliyah Morman had two hits, and Chaple Butler had a hit and an RBI.

Kirsten Williams had three hits and two RBIs for LaGrange, Madison Dennis had two hits and two RBIs, and Jacee Marable had two hits and an RBI.

Mariana Ceja and Kaylee Bryant each had a hit and an RBI, and Macee Stone and Abby Vanhoose had one hit apiece.

Faith Horton got the complete-game victory for Callaway, and Macee Stone pitched the full seven innings for LaGrange.

GAME THREE

Troup 19, Callaway 16

Troup banged out 19 hits and had a pair of six-run innings in a game that featured plenty of offensive fireworks.

Callaway scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and had the tying run on base, but Troup survived.

Troup reshman Caroline McInvale had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and she drove in three runs.

Also for Troup, Olivia McInvale had two hits and three RBIs and Haley Cotton had three hits and an RBI.

Lainey Braswell had three hits, Jennifer Albertson had two hits and an RBI, and Casey Sani and Maggie McDonald each had a hit and an RBI.

Avery Pearson, Emilee Johnson and Tashauna Askew each had a hit.

For Callaway, Lindsay Cofield had a huge game with a hit and five RBIs.

Leijorey Sanders got the job done from the leadoff position with three hits and an RBI, and Aaliyah Morman and Chaple Butler each had a hit and an RBI.