THE JEFFERSON softball team’s Columbus dreams are still intact.
The Dragons (20-15) battled back from a 3-0 loss to Dade County in the opener of a Wednesday doubleheader in the second round of the state playoffs with a 7-4 win in the nightcap.
Capitalizing on three early walks, the Dragons plated six runs in the first inning of the second game to jump on the Wolverines early and fend off elimination.
“I think the girls got mad,” Jefferson coach Melissa Mullis said. “We left like eight or nine on base that first game. It was frustrating because I believe we were the better team. We just didn’t score the runs we needed to score. So they came out fighting mad in the second game and capitalized.”
The teams will square off in the rubber game today (Thursday) at 5 p.m. The winner advances to the state Elite Eight in Columbus.
Morgan McKinney threw seven innings to earn the win in game two. She allowed 11 hits and struck out seven.
Lindsey Miles had three hits to lead the team in game two.
Jefferson lost in extra innings in game one, with Dade County scoring three runs in the top of the eighth.
The Dragons were limited to three hits (Miles, Emily Holman and McKinney).
McKinney took the loss in the opener, throwing all eight innings. She was perfect through the first four frames and finished with 14 strikeouts. McKinney allowed only three hits.
See full state tournament coverage in the Oct. 24 issue of The Jackson Herald.
