ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. – Shelby Robertson has the feeling Thursday night’s Region 7-AA championship win over Dade County is the first of several tight games the Lady Warriors will face in the coming weeks.
At least the senior shortstop hopes so.
Robertson had two hits and played a key role in both of LFO’s scoring innings in the 4-2 win, which clinched the program’s fifth consecutive region title but the first in Class AA. Her leadoff single in the sixth sparked a three-run rally for the 29-1 Lady Warriors, who will open the state playoffs at home Wednesday against the fourth-seeded team from Region 5.
“I was able to start our rally, and I went up there just trying to get on some way,” said Robertson, who singled in the team’s first run in the third inning. “We all rallied together in that last inning to pull it out. They played us tough, and we knew they would after playing them twice this week. This is my senior year, so every game is big right now and we have to keep it up.”
With the score tied at 1 after Dade pushed across a run in the fourth on a double by Sydney Vaughan and a wild pitch, Robertson singled to center field to start the sixth. Fellow senior Maddie Bray followed with a double, sending Robertson to third. Kandi Gates reached on a fielder’s choice as the speedy Robertson beat the throw from first.
Ashley Armstrong and Hayley Burnette later hit RBI doubles for a 4-1 lead.
Dade (22-12) put a scare into the region’s top seed in the seventh, scoring one run on two hits and an LFO error, but Monica Vickery put out the fire with a strikeout of Haley Gass with the potential tying runs on.
“We knew they had a good pitcher and a scrappy team,” LFO coach Tony Ellis said. “They weren’t going to come down here and give us the game.
“I’m proud of our kids for battling. They could have gotten complacent, but they didn’t, and Monica pitched a great game again. We got some key hits in key spots. The seniors came through big. They’re focused. They know what their goal is, and this is the first step.”
Vaughan had two hits for the Lady Wolverines, who also will host a first-round best-of-three series starting Wednesday. Rockmart and Calhoun are the third and fourth seeds, respectively, from 7-AA.
n Northwest Whitfield earned the No. 3 playoff seed from Region 7-AAAA Wednesday night with a 2-0 win over third-ranked Woodland. Sophomore pitcher Emily Boyd pitched a one-hitter with eight strikeouts, while Amy Shampo had two hits.