The ECI softball team played just one game last week, but they made it count defeating Metter 14-1 in four innings.
They were scheduled to play Jenkins Co. last Thursday but the game was postponed due to field conditions during the rains last week in Millen. The region game has been rescheduled for Monday, October 12.
In the only game played, Metter took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a walk, two hits and an error to put the Bulldogs in an early hole. It would be the last run ECI would allow to the Tigers on the day.
ECI matched that run in the top of the second inning for a 1-1 tie and added 2 more in the third to take a 3-1 lead.
The Lady Dawgs exploded for 11 runs in the fourth inning.
With Kelsey Harper on after a Metter error, Kelly Joseph’s double plated Harper for the first run of the inning. Joseph scored on an error when Jelsey Snellgrove put the ball in play to make the score 5-1.
Shayla Stephenson walked bringing up Lily Robertson. Robertson cleared the bases on a 3 run shot, hitting her first career homerun and the Bulldogs only homerun of the season for an 8-1 lead.
The Bulldogs added 6 more runs in the inning to take a commanding 14-1 in the top of the fourth inning.
Metter went down one, two, three in the bottom of the inning as ECI run-ruled the Tigers in four, 14-1.
Kelly Joseph had the hot bat going 3-3 with a double and 3 RBI. Kelsey Harper was 2-3 (2 RBI). Four other Bulldogs picked up a hit each for the 9 hits for ECI.
Charla Clifton toed the rubber for ECI allowing just 3 hits while striking out four Tigers to take the win.
The Bulldogs have 2 games on tap this week. They played McIntosh Co. yesterday in Darien. Looming on the horizon for Thursday September 24 is a rematch with Bryan Co. The Redskins are looking to dethrone the Bulldogs as region champions.
Bryan defeated ECI in Pembroke on September 1 handing the Bulldogs just their second region loss in 2 years.
To have a chance at repeating as region champions, the Bulldogs will need to defeat the Indians and win out the rest of the season. If both teams are tied with one region loss each at the end of the season, it turns to the tie breaker to determine champion.
The second tie breaker with teams tied head to head is runs allowed to region teams, third is runs allowed against next highest seed and fourth is coin flip.
