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The LaGrange High softball season reached its heartbreaking conclusion in Columbus on Thursday. A day after leading heading to the seventh inning and losing in extra innings, the Grangers once again led heading to the seventh inning before falling 5-4 to LaFayette on a walk-off in extra innings with two outs.

Just like in the opening game of the state tournament, the Grangers got off to a hot start. 

Abby McGill gave the Grangers a 2-0 lead with a double in the top of the first inning. LaGrange held the lead all the way until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Ramblers scored to force extra innings.

The Grangers were eventually able to extend their lead with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Jasia Swanson laid down a perfect bunt to drive home McGill for the first run of the inning. Dakota McDaniel brought home the second run with a single. Unfortunately, the Grangers left the bases loaded to end the inning despite getting runners on all three bases with just one out. This would prove costly as the Ramblers would come storming back in the later innings as the Granger bats went quiet.

LaFayette eventually broke through with a run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth, cutting the LaGrange lead to just one run heading to the seventh and final inning of regulation.

The Grangers let up the tying run on the first pitch of the bottom of the seventh as the Ramblers got a solo home run. The Ramblers were dangerously close to walking it off in regulation, loading the bases in the seventh, but the Grangers survived. 

It looked like the game would go into the ninth inning after LaGrange got two quick outs to start the bottom of the eighth, but a walk got a runner on base and it would prove costly as the Ramblers ended the game two pitches later on a walk-off double to right field. 

The Granger bats went quiet down the stretch with just one hit across the final four innings of play. McGill led the team with two hits while Shelby Siggers, McDaniel and Swanson all had one each. 

McDaniel got the start on the mound and pitched a complete game. The freshman threw all 15 ⅔ innings for LaGrange at the state tournament. 

This was the Grangers first trip to Columbus for the state tournament since 2020. LaGrange will have to say goodbye to eleven talented seniors — Addyson Arnett, Tatiana Dudley, Kaylee Foster, Carolyne Garcia, Abby McGill, Tatum Nation, Taylor Nation, Jasia Swanson, Kassidy Stewart, Zoe Thompson and Hudson Wood — almost all of who either started or played a pivotal role on the team. LaGrange will return just two starters from the playoff game against LaFayette — McDaniel, a freshman pitcher, and junior third baseman Siggers —- as the team will have to retool as they look to make another deep playoff run.