Yellow Jackets sweep double-header 11-8, 10-0 earning trip to state tournament

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

CALHOUN, Ga. - Calhoun catcher Raleigh Fitch threw her facemask then shed her chest-protector after Alyssa Shawgo stuck out the last Lovett batter of the night.

"I thought I was going to get knocked to the ground," Shawgo said. "But she only stepped on my toe."

The celebration started because Calhoun is headed to Columbus for the Class AA state softball championship.

The Yellow Jackets swept Lovett in a double-header Wednesday, 11-8 in the first game and 10-0 in six innings in the second game.

"We're not through yet," said Calhoun coach Diane Smith whose team finished as the state runner-up in 2008, its last trip to Columbus.

Junior shortstop Taylor Kelly belted three home runs in the double-header -- a solo shot in the first game and two two-run blasts in the second game -- to propel the Calhoun offense. She went 6-for-8 at the plate with seven runs batted in and scored five runs on the night.

"I saw my favorite kind of pitching," said Kelly, who has committed to play at Mississippi State. "I got my favorite pitches, and I was ready."

Kinsey Liscio earned the victory in game one of the night with 10 strikeouts. The Yellow Jackets led 11-4 before the Lions scored four times in the top of the seventh.

"We beat them and scored a lot of runs, but that was sloppy," said Smith, whose team was averaging 8.2 runs per game before Thursday. "We do have some good sticks."

Calhoun (29-6) jumped on the Lions in the first inning of the second game and never relented. Jana Johns -- who scored five times Wednesday -- reached on an error. Then Kelly belted her second homer of the night for a 2-0 lead. Kelly hit a two-run blast in her next at bat for a 4-0 lead.

Fitch hit the first homer of her career helping Calhoun score twice in the fourth. Then Johns belted her own homer in the fifth invoking the mercy rule. Shawgo allowed one walk, three singles and struck out 10 including the last batter which sent Fitch into a frenzy.

"I was too excited," Fitch said. "I was excited to think that we'd done. We're going to Columbus."

Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6484. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP