The Apalachee High School softball team was swept in the semifinals of the Region 8-AAAAA tournament Tuesday by No. 1 seed Loganville.
The Lady Wildcats still hope to enter the state tournament as a No. 3 seed, based on a one-game matchup later this week. AHS fell to host Loganville 7-0 and 9-3 Tuesday as the Lady Red Devils took advantage of a strong pitching performance by Samantha Britt as well as the use of several home runs.
“The first inning in both games hurt us,” Lady Wildcat coach Mike Cavey said. “When you get down like that before you even blink, then it’s going to be tough. We just couldn’t do anything off their pitcher. In the first game, we just didn’t show up. We were ready physically or mentally. I’m not sure why.”
LHS jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first in the opening game. Those runs would be all the Lady Red Devils would need on their way to a 7-0 victory.
Savannah Clark and Ashley Walraven managed the only hits for AHS in the opener.
Cavey called on freshman Allison Cole to pitch the second game, however, she took a line drive off her shin which caused her to have to leave the game.
“We thought we would give them a little change of pace,” Cavey said. “And it was working until she had to come out. We didn’t want to take a chance with the injury becoming worse.”
Cole registered one inning of work before Becca Meade, who pitched the first game, was called back in.
LHS scored three runs in the first inning in game two but AHS battled close through six innings. Hannah Medlam scored a run in the bottom of the first (the Lady Wildcats were the designated home team in game two) and Walraven had an RBI single in the bottom of the third to make the score 4-2.
The Lady Red Devils would score five more runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach. AHS did manage one run in the seventh when Danielle Christensen scored on a fielder’s choice by Carsyn Flanigan.
“Loganville has a good lineup,” Cavey said. “It was our first time facing the pitcher they threw today. She was mixing her pitches and she good some locations. She also threw harder than the average pitcher we have faced.”
While the AHS Lady Wildcats won’t win the 8-AAAAA tournament and be a No. 1 seed, the team has already assured itself a spot in the upcoming state tournament.
“We would like to enter state as at least a No. 3 seed,” Cavey said. “Being a No. 4 would give us a very tough opening-round series.”
AHS will compete in the upcoming state softball tournament for the first time in three seasons.
