The Lamar County Lady Trojans varsity softball team has opened the season ablaze, putting together an undefeated first month behind great pitching and clutch hitting.
Lamar County 12, Spalding 0
On August 18, Lamar County traveled up to Spalding, routing the Lady Jags 12-0.
Pitcher, Dakota Crowley was unstoppable. She allowed only three hits in five innings in addition to five strikeouts and walking just two batters.
Lamar added its first run to the board after Laila Johnson scored on a Spalding error. Kylie Kington would later hit a two-out triple to bring Ansleigh Humphries home. Bailey Gunter added a third Trojan run after Kington scored on a single.
Kaden Flournoy began the top of the fourth inning with a double. Nya Brown was brought into the game as a pinch runner. Brown would score after Kington doubled on a fly ball to left field. Later in the inning, Kington scored on a grounder up the middle from Hailey Stanley to give the Trojans five runs.
Lamar County racked up several more runs in the top of the fifth inning, beginning with a ground out that brought Nya Brown across the plate to give the Trojans 6. Ansleigh Humphries then hit a double to center field, Emmalee Corley scoring to make the score 7-0. Thanks to some patient hitting, Stanley walked up to the plate with the bases loaded. Down with an 0-2 count, Stanley found her pitch and slugged the ball over the centerfield fence for a grand slam. The score was then 11-0. The Jaguars would walk the Trojans final run home. The final was 12-0.
Lamar County 5, Marion County 0
On August 23, the Lady Trojans kept their early season momentum rolling with a 5–0 road win over Marion County.
Dakota Crowley was sharp once again in the circle, shutting out the Eagles across seven innings. She gave up just two hits, struck out five, and walked only one to earn the complete-game shutout.
Lamar County wasted no time getting on the board. In the top of the first, Keelie Smallwood singled on a ground ball to second to bring Ansleigh Humphries across the plate for a 1–0 lead.
The Trojans went up 4–0 in the third. Kylee Kington singled to left, followed by Bailey Gunter getting hit by a pitch. With two runners aboard, Smallwood reached on an error at shortstop, allowing Kington to score. Moments later, Layla Johnson grounded to third for a fielder’s choice that scored Gunter. Johnson later came around on a wild pitch to give Lamar County a comfortable lead.
The final blow came in the fifth when Caitlynn Whitaker lined a single into center, driving home Smallwood to set the final score at 5–0.
Behind Crowley’s pitching and timely hitting throughout the lineup, the Trojans earned another shutout win.
Lamar County 9, Baconton Charter 0
After the Marion game, Lamar County continued its winning ways with a 9–0 shutout against Baconton Charter. Kylee Kington allowed just one hit across seven innings to earn the win in the circle.
The Trojans opened the scoring in the second inning when Brayleigh Ziehme hit a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing Layla Johnson home for a 1–0 lead.
In the third, Keelie Smallwood hit a line drive to center to score Bailey Gunter, while Hailey Stanley advanced to third. Stanley then came home moments later on a wild pitch, stretching the lead to 3–0.
The Trojans tacked on another run in the fifth when Gunter scored on a groundout, making it 4–0.
Lamar County had a huge seventh inning. Nya Brown singled to right to bring home Dakota Crowley, and Addison Nail drew a walk with the bases loaded to bring home Raigan Estep. A pair of wild pitches allowed Corley and Brown to score before Humphries ended the rally with an RBI single to left, driving in Addison Nail.
Lamar County 8, Peach County 4
On August 27, Lamar County rallied late to knock off Peach County, 8–4.
The Trojans jumped ahead early in the first when Kylee Kington hit a sacrifice fly to left, bringing Ansleigh Humphries home for a 1–0 lead. Peach responded in the bottom half, however, bringing in three runs on a single and an error to move in front 3–1.
Kington cut into the lead in the third with another sacrifice fly, this time scoring Emmalee Corley, but Peach answered with a run of its own on a fielder’s choice to make it 4–2 after three innings.
Lamar County clawed its way back in the sixth. Bailey Gunter ripped a single to left to spark the rally, followed by a walk to Hailey Stanley. When Layla Johnson reached on an error at third, Gunter scored to pull Lamar within one.
The momentum carried into the seventh, where Lamar’s bats and baserunning turned the game around. Humphries reached on a dropped third strike, and Kington singled to center. Humphries scored on an error to tie the game, and Kington came around on a wild pitch to give Lamar its first lead since the opening frame. Gunter later scored on a single by Keelie Smallwood, and Smallwood herself came home after a wild pitch to put the game away.
Lamar County 5, Jackson 2
On August 28, the Lady Trojans had a 5–2 win over rival Jackson at the newly renovated Aldora Field.
The game was scoreless through the first two innings before Jackson broke through in the top of the third. A two-run home run to right gave the Red Devils an early 2–0 lead.
Lamar County wasted no time responding in the bottom half. Keelie Smallwood singled to center, bringing home Kylee Kington and Ansleigh Humphries to tie the game. A wild pitch later in the inning pushed another run across, giving the Trojans a 3–2 advantage.
The lead grew in the sixth. Smallwood provided the spark again, launching a solo home run to dead center to make it 4–2. Moments later, Kaden Flournoy doubled to drive in Emmalee Corley, extending the margin to 5–2.
That was more than enough support for Dakota Crowley, who went the distance in the circle, scattering five hits and holding Jackson scoreless over the final four innings to secure the win.
Coming Up
The Trojans are undefeated (10-0) coming into the month of September, and they are looking to keep the streak going one game at a time.
Lamar County will face two opponents on the road this upcoming week. On Tuesday, September 2, they will travel to Butler to face Taylor County. On Thursday, they go to Monticello.
The next home game is scheduled to be against Putnam County at Aldora Field on Tuesday, September 9.
Grant Turner is the editor of the Barnesville Buzz and an educator, coach, and writer based in Barnesville, Georgia. He shares stories that bridge community, faith, and personal growth. In addition to teaching and coaching, Grant is Director of Musical Worship and a Sunday School teacher at New Hope Baptist Church in Zebulon, Georgia. He lives in Barnesville with his wife, Haley.
