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The LaGrange softball team is one win away from a trip to Columbus of the eight-team 3A state tournament. The Grangers split a doubleheader against North Hall on Friday in the Sweet 16, setting up a winner-take-all game three on Friday.

 

GAME ONE:

LaGrange – 1

North Hall – 0

 

The Grangers eked out a 1-0 win over North Hall in game one of the Sweet 16 on Thursday.

Offense was hard to come by for both teams, especially in the early goings as the teams combined for just one hit in the first five innings.

The closest a team came to scoring in that span was in the top of the second inning when LaGrange advanced runners to second and third with two outs, but could not find a way to break the deadlock.

The Grangers would eventually take the lead when Hudson Wood reached on an error in the sixth inning. She proceeded to steal second and was advanced to third by a Ta’Niya Taylor groundout and then eventually scored on a passed ball.

Freshman Dakota McDaniel got the start in the circle and was simply magnificent, pitching a no-hitter in which she struck out a whopping 11 batters and allowed just three walks, stifling the Trojan offense every chance she got. The freshman phenom has allowed just one hit across two playoff starts this season. 

The Grangers could muster just two hits in the game, a single from Abby McGill and a double from Carolyne Garcia, but were also able to reach bases in other ways which proved to be the difference in game one.

 

GAME TWO:

LaGrange – 1

North Hall – 11

 

The Grangers could not match their game one effort in game two, falling 8-1 to force a winner-take-all game three.

The Trojans jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning and never looked back from there. North Hall would tack on three more runs to its lead in the top of the fifth inning.

The Grangers attempted to start a rally in the fifth inning , but squandered a real chance to get back in the game as they had the bases loaded with no outs and came away with no runs.

North Hall would make it 8-0 with a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning.

The Grangers finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning courtesy of a solo homer from Carolyne Garcia. 

The Trojans put the game to rest with three runs in the top of the seventh inning

It was just not LaGrange’s day on offense. The team put together just four hits in the game and five hits total across the two games. The Grangers will need more from their offense if they are to punch their ticket to Columbus.

Taylor, Garcia, McDaniel and Addyson Arnett all had a hit apiece for the Grangers in game two.

McDaniel started in the circle for game two as well, allowing her first hit of the day in the top of the third inning. She pitched 41/3 innings before making way for senior Zoe Thompson, who pitched the rest of the game. 

 

WHAT’S NEXT: 

LaGrange will play a winner-take-all game three at North Hall on Friday at 3 p.m. The winner of that game will play the winner of the LaFayette-Harlem series at 11 a.m. next Wednesday in the opening game of the double-elimination 3A tournament in Columbus.