Though the outcome was very much in doubt, Maddie Bray looked at the scoreboard in the sixth inning and smiled. With her team in a scoreless contest with Region 7-AA B rival Dade County, the Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe senior softball pitcher was relishing the competitiveness of the game.
After Bray recorded a 1-2-3 inning, her fourth of the game, the Lady Warriors used two Dade errors and Maryanne Morgan’s RBI single to pull out a 3-0 win. The victory clinched the top B seeding for LFO (23-1, 10-0) in the region tournament with two regular-season games remaining.
“We knew it was going to be a tough battle,” Bray said after securing her 10th win. “We came out a little sluggish, but we came together in the sixth and Maryanne got the big hit. It’s definitely nice to be in a tight game. To see a good team like this will prepare us pretty good for the region tournament and whatever else lies ahead.”
A two-out walk to Hayley Burnette ignited the winning rally against Dade ace Haleigh McBryar. Abby Morgan reached on an infield error, with pinch runner Chelsea Thomason reaching third. Maryanne Morgan followed with the tiebreaking single to left, and two batters later both Morgans scored on the second Dade error.
Bray, who allowed two hits and struck out nine, retired the Lady Wolverines (13-7, 6-4) in order in the seventh.
“McBryar’s one of the top three pitchers in our region,” LFO coach Tony Ellis said. “We knew she was good, and when she’s hitting her spots as she did today, she’s going to be tough to hit. I was proud of Maddie. Only one ball was really hit hard, and that was an out in the last inning.
“All around, I thought we played well and Maryanne came up big. She’s a great No. 9 hitter, and she’s clutch.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296.