GOOD HOPE – It was a wild back-and-forth game between Brewer and Good Hope as each team looked to take control Monday night. It took extra innings, but Brewer took advantage with some big hits and defeated the Lady Raiders, 14-9, in a game that lasted three hours and 15 minutes.
The Lady Patriots struck first in the opening inning. Hannah Buchanan led off the game with a walk. She stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored when Jessie Privett lined a double over the glove of center fielder Josie McDonald. Caitlyn Bryson moved her over to third on a ground out. A walk and an infield single later, Dudley drove in Privett with a ground out to make it a 2-0 score. Cassidy Stephens led off the top of the second with a double to left-center. She advanced to third on a wild pitch, then Henslee Brindley drove her in on a fielder's choice to make the score 3-0.
Good Hope looked to get on the scoreboard in their half. Sidnie English led off the inning with a single to right field. She stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored when a fly ball hit by Mykale Lowe was dropped by Brindley in right field to cut the deficit to two at 3-1. Bryson led off the Brewer third with a triple to left-center and scored on an RBI ground out by Madisen Adams. Good Hope's bats came to life in their half. Erika Woodall lined a single into left field, but ran into bad luck as a dropped fly ball by Bryson that was hit by Skylar Tucker turned into an out for the Lady Patriots. Derekia Tankersley hit a bloop single that moved Tucker over to third and she went to second at the end of the play. McDonald then crushed a two-run triple into right-center, bringing home Tucker and Tankersley to cut the Brewer lead to 4-3, then on the first pitch to English, she tied the game on a sacrifice fly. That fired up English, as she retired Brewer in order in the top of the fourth on just 11 pitches.
The Lady Raiders' bats stayed red-hot in their half of the fourth. A Joanie Lang fielding error put Good Hope in business early. After a pop out and a ground out, Woodall lined an RBI single to increase the lead to 5-4, then Tucker brought her home with an RBI double to make it a 6-4 score. Brewer answered in the fifth. A single and a double play turned into two quick outs and the Lady Raiders looked to get out of the inning with no runs allowed, but Brewer had other ideas. Adams lined a single into left-center, stole second and scored on a throwing error by Tucker, cutting the lead to 6-5. Good Hope added a run in their half of the inning when McDonald scored on a wild pitch.
Woodall led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk, then Tucker lined a double into the left field corner, bringing home Woodall, to increase the lead to 8-5. After a sacrifice bunt by Tankersley, McDonald continued to have a big game by lining a double to left field, driving in Tucker, and the Lady Raiders went into the final inning up 9-5, three outs away from winning the game. Brewer had other plans, though. Privett led off the inning with a double to left-center on the first pitch, then she went to third on a wild pitch. Bryson drew a walk, then stole second to put runners at second and third with no outs. English came back with back-to-back strike outs and was one out away from getting out of the inning and getting the win. Dudley drew a walk. Another error by Tucker at short cut the lead to 9-6, and it loaded the bases for the pitcher Stephens, who, on a 2-1 pitch, helped her own cause by clearing the bases with a double to tie the game at nine.
Good Hope looked to end the game. A lead-off walk, followed by a wild pitch, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Lowe, had Good Hope just 90 feet away from winning the game, but they did not capitalize as a bad read on a ground ball turned into the winning run getting thrown out at home, then Woodall flied out to Brindley to end the inning. In extras, it was all Brewer as Bryson hit a two-run triple, Adams had an RBI bunt single, Alecia Warnick hit an RBI double and Brindley added a RBI groundout, to give Brewer a 14-9 lead. The Lady Raiders looked for one last rally. Tankersley hit a sharp single into left field on the first pitch. McDonald lined a double to right-center, but Tankersley got thrown out at the plate. English then grounded out to end the game.
Stephens went the distance as she gave up nine runs, eight of them earned, on 11 hits, walked five and struck out three. She went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two doubles, a single and a walk. Privett went 4-for-5 with an RBI, two singles and two doubles. Bryson added two hits, both triples, and added two RBIs. Adams added two hits as well, both singles, and had two RBIs. Brindley added two RBIs of her own. Dudley had an RBI. Warnick added a hit and an RBI. The Lady Patriots go home to play Decatur today.
English went the distance, allowing 14 runs, 12 of them earned, on 15 hits, walked seven and struck out five. She added a hit and an RBI also. McDonald went 3-for-4 with three doubles, a walk and three RBIs. Tucker added three hits, two doubles and a single, and she had two RBIs. Woodall had two hits, plus an RBI. The Lady Raiders fall to 6-11 on the season and will stay at home tonight against Priceville.
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