By Kevin Eckleberry

kevin.eckleberry@lagrangenews.com

LAGRANGE – It was a tough day for the Troup Lady Tigers, who dropped a region softball doubleheader to Cartersville on Saturday afternoon.

After taking the first game 4-2, Cartersville finished off the sweep with a 7-0 victory.

The Lady Tigers (9-8 overall) fell to 4-4 in Region 5-AAAA, and they’re in fifth place as the regular season hits the home stretch.

“We just didn’t do a very good job of making adjustments at the plate,” Troup coach Mason Brackett said. “We kept putting the ball in the air instead of hitting it on the ground, especially when the wind’s blowing like it is.”

Troup still has time to make up ground in the region race.

Beginning with Thursday’s road game against LaGrange, Troup has four region games remaining as it looks to improve its position heading into the region tournament.

In Saturday’s first game, Troup fell behind 4-0 before scoring single runs in the fifth and sixth inning, but the comeback fell short.

“The first game, we had runners at third base with less than two outs on two occasions and didn’t score,” Brackett said.

In the fifth inning, Olivia McInvale tripled and scored on a Kayla Lane groundout.

Troup scored its sixth-inning run on a Skye Loftin double after Maddie Weathers led off with a base hit.

Weathers, Loftin, Abby Taylor and McInvale each had a hit for Troup, and Lane and Makenzie Miller each walked twice.

Taylor pitched the seven-inning complete game, and Colbi Ballard was the winning pitcher.

In the second game, the Lady Tigers had runners on base in the fourth through seventh innings, but they were unable to break through for a run.

Taylor had a pair of hits for Troup, and Weathers, Hadleigh Livingston and Miller each had hits.

Troup was supposed to play at Woodward Academy today, but that game has been postponed.

Troup will play LaGrange for the third time on Thursday.

Troup beat LaGrange 9-8 on Aug. 5, although that wasn’t a region game.

The two teams got together for a region game on Aug. 22, and it was LaGrange outlasting Troup 6-5.