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Woodland can’t rally from early deficit

BY SCOTT POWER
Woodland softball fell behind and couldn’t rally from an early deficit in a season ending 14-3 loss to Villa Rica in Friday’s Super Regionals.

The Lady Wildcats defeated Winder-Barrow 14-5 on Oct. 21 in a rematch from the first game in the Super Regionals on Thursday, Oct. 20.

“We showed up and bounced back from a loss to Winder-Barrow and run ruled them (in a second game between the two teams),” Woodland Coach Todd Eubanks said. “Cambrie Carrington hit a home run to spark us and we kept adding on. It was nice to beat them, they are the No. 5 team in the state and it was nice to redeem ourselves. We advanced to the Sweet 16, but we only got to enjoy it for 15 minutes before we played again.”

Woodland fell 14-3 in five innings to Villa Rica in Friday’s second game. Eubanks said that playing their fourth game in two days caught up to the Lady Wildcats, but they have accomplished a lot this year.

“We competed well, but they are the No. 4 team in the state and they are a hot team right now,” Eubanks said. “They hit five homers on us. After playing four games in two days, fatigue finally got us. I think we represented our school, our community and our region well. We advanced to the region finals, the only team from our region to do that. That’s something to be proud of.”

The Lady Wildcats finished the season with a record of 17-17 and finished third in Region 7-5A despite only having one senior.

“We started five sophomores and three freshmen,” Eubanks said. “The kids learned and competed well. We are proud of what we accomplished this year and look forward to what we will accomplish in the future. We finished within two games of finishing in Columbus in back-to-back years. We came up just a little short. That will be our goal next year, to make it back to Columbus.”

Eubanks said the lone senior, Carrington, has been a vital part of the program for the last four years.

“She can leave her head high,” Eubanks said. “She made the playoffs all four years and won 82 games in four years. She has made an impact on our program, which is something our other girls can aspire to compete as well as she did.”

Woodland 14, Winder-Barrow 5

Carrington gave the Lady Wildcats a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with a two-run homer. Winder-Barrow cut that lead to 2-1 but Woodland went up 4-1 in the second inning on RBI singles by Jordan Hammonds and Peyton Dorn.

The Lady Wildcats then scored five runs in the third and five more in the fourth to break open the game. In the third, Woodland scored on an RBI single by Bailey Sakacsi, a bases-loaded walk by Alana Carnes, a sacrifice fly by Hammonds and an RBI single by Dorn to make it 9-1.

Up 9-3 in the fourth, Woodland added five more runs a fielder’s choice by Sakacsi, a three-RBI single by Hammonds, a sacrifice fly by Dorn as the Wildcats went ahead 14-3. Winder-Barrow added a couple of meaningless runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Hammonds went 2-for-3 with five RBIs and Dorn went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Elizabeth Hartsfield also had two hits while Carrington and Sakacsi each drove in a pair of runs. Carnes had one RBi.

Collum pitched all five innings and earned the win. She gave up five runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking two.

Villa Rica 14, Woodland 3 (5 innings)

Villa Rica scored eight runs in the first two innings before Woodland scored two in the top of the third. Carnes and Hammonds led off Woodland’s half of the frame with singles and then Kamyrn Smith hit a one out single to load the bases.

Carrington singled home Carnes to make it 8-1 and then Woodland cut Villa Rica’s lead to 8-2 on a sacrifice fly by Ashlyn Dowdy that scored Hammonds.

Villa Rica added a run in the bottom of the third and two more in the bottom of the fourth.

Woodland scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Hammonds and Peyton Dorn both singled to start the frame and then Smith flied out to bring home Hammonds. Carrington grounded out, but that scored Dorn to make it 11-4.

A two-run home run by Villa Rica ended the game on the run rule in the bottom of the fifth.

Woodland had seven hits. Hammonds was the only Lady Wildcat with multiple hits as she went 2-for-3 and scored twice. Carrington had two RBIs while Smith and Dowdy each drove in one run.

Collum gave up four runs on four hits in one inning, but only one of those runs was earned. She struck out none and walked none. Dowdy pitched the final 3 1/3 innings and struck out two.