The ECI Lady Dawgs softball team closed out the regular season on a winning note last week, run-ruling Vidalia 11-2 before returning home to defeat Jeff Davis 6-1. With the regular season behind them, the Lady Dawgs now turn their attention to the state playoffs.
On Monday, October 12, ECI hosted Manchester in a best-of-three series in the first round of the state playoffs. The Lady Dawgs entered the postseason as the No. 3 seed, behind No. 1 Wheeler County and No. 2 Irwin County, as they began their quest for another state championship.
The winner of the ECI-Manchester series will advance to face the winner of the Treutlen County-Jenkins County series. As the No. 3 seed, the Lady Dawgs will continue to enjoy home-field advantage as long as they keep winning, looking to return to their home away from home in late October, Columbus and the state tournament rounds.
On Tuesday, October 6, ECI traveled to Vidalia to take on the Indians and returned home with an 11-2 victory in five innings.
The Lady Dawgs grabbed an early 2-1 lead in the first inning and never looked back. ECI broke the game open in the top of the third, exploding for eight runs to extend its advantage to 10-2. The Bulldogs added another run in the fifth to secure the run-rule victory and avenge a 5-3 loss to Vidalia a few weeks earlier.
Mary Katherine Durden continued her hot streak at the plate, collecting four hits, including a double and two triples. Ansley Frye also had a productive night offensively, finishing with two hits.
Durden was equally effective in the circle, allowing just five hits and no walks while striking out six Vidalia batters.
The Lady Dawgs wrapped up their regular season Wednesday by hosting Jeff Davis. ECI sent the Yellow Jackets back to Hazlehurst with a 6-1 defeat, completing a season sweep of Jeff Davis.
Hadleigh Henry led the Lady Dawgs at the plate with three hits, while Durden and Senaria Hillman contributed two hits apiece.
With two more victories added to their record, the Lady Dawgs headed into the postseason carrying momentum and looking to make another deep run in the state playoffs. The road to Columbus had begun, and ECI hoped to keep its season rolling with a strong performance against Manchester.
