The ECI softball team ended their marathon week Thursday winning all four of their games to improve their season record to 22-2 and 12-1 in region play.
After a slip up in Sylvania the Bulldogs made a statement last week outscoring their 4 region opponents 45-3 including Portal who was tied with the Bulldogs with one region loss.
The Bulldogs had won 5 consecutive region championships until Bryan Co. ended that run in 2020. With the win against Claxton Thursday, the Lady Dawgs took back the crown and the number one seed in region 3 entering the state playoffs.
Monday, September27, they traveled to Pembroke to take on Bryan Co. defeating the Indians 10-1.
The Bulldogs took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back scoring 2 more in the third and put the icing on the cake in the fifth adding 5 more runs to take the win.
The Indians’ only run of the game was a homerun in the fourth inning which was the first hit for Bryan in the game.
Charla Clifton bouncing back from the loss to the Gamecocks went the distance in the circle allowing just 2 hits while striking out 10 of the 18 Indian batters she faced.
The Bulldog bats were humming against Bryan pounding out 16 hits. Getting multiple hits for ECI were Kelsey Harper (4), with Shayla Stephenson, Lilly Robertson, Sullee Boddiford and Jayna Kearson getting 2 hits each.
Tuesday the Lady Dawgs went to Portal for another region game. With both teams entering the game with just one region loss, the winner of the game would have a leg up on the number one seed and region crown.
The Bulldogs gutted out a 3-0 win over Portal scoring single runs in the third, sixth and seventh innings.
Clifton and the Lady Dawg defense held the Panthers to just one hit while striking out 11.
The Bulldogs scattered 9 hits with Ally Taylor the multiple hitter, with two hits. Seven other Lady Dawgs recorded one hit each.
Wednesday ECI hosted McIntosh Co. in their third region contest of the week. The Lady Dawgs made short work of the Indians from Darien, defeating them 19-2 in just three innings.
Kelsey Harper led off the game for ECI with a HR and it was all downhill from there for the Buccaneers. With the Lady Dawgs leading 4-2 after the first inning, the hot bats exploded for 15 runs in the second inning on 15 hits to take a 19-2 lead after two innings. During the inning ECI sent 19 batters to the plate.
Boddiford started the game for the Bulldogs in the circle allowing just 3 hits to the Bucs while striking out two batters.
The Bulldogs pounded 20 hits against McIntosh. Harper, Williams, and Canady ended the game with 3 hits each. Recording 2 hits during the game were Kayanna Thompson, Shayla Stephenson, Robertson, Kearson and Kaylan Lamb.
Thursday the Bulldogs played Claxton in Twin City winning their fourth game of the week 13-0.
Before the game the Lady Dawgs honored their two seniors, Macy Canady and Semya Williams.
The Lady Dogs gave up a leadoff double to the Tigers in the first inning and did not allow another hit during the game.
The Bulldogs posted 5 runs in the first inning, four in the second and two in the third inning to take a 11-0 lead after three innings. The Bulldogs ended the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when Kinsley Grimes scored Williams and Marsh with a single to make the final score 13-0.
Coming into the game there were 5 members of the Lady Dawg homerun club. Sullee Bodiford joined the club in the second inning with a solo shot over the centerfield fence.
Boddiford, pitching her second game of the week allowed just one hit striking our 3 Tigers.
Kelsey Harper continued her hot streak at the plate during the week with 3 hits. The junior shortstop struck for 11 hits during the four region games. Lady Dawgs getting 2 hits each were Stephenson and Boddiford.
ECI has two games remaining during the regular season. Tuesday October 5 they will play their last region game in Metter against the Tigers. Thursday they will travel to Baxley to play the Pirates from Appling Co. in a non-region contest.
The Bulldogs will host the first round of the state playoffs when they begin on Tuesday, October 12 in a 3 game series.
