The Lamar County softball team won both games of a Wednesday doubleheader to advance to the second round of the GHSA Playoffs.
Game 1 – Lamar County 10, Dodge County 2
The Trojans began their offensive surge as Ansleigh Humphries led off the bottom of the first inning with a line drive to center field, reaching third base. She scored on a catcher’s error to make the score 1–0.
The bottom of the second inning began with a single by Layla Johnson. A pair of walks by Brayleigh Ziehme and Kaden Flournoy loaded up the bases. Ansleigh Humphries cleared the bases with a line drive to center field, scoring Johnson, Ziehme, and courtesy runner Emmalee Corley. Hits by Kylee Kington and Keelie Smallwood would make the score 6–0 at the end of the second.
Lamar’s bats came alive again in the bottom of the third. Layla Johnson hit a triple to open the Trojans’ offensive half. Brayleigh Ziehme also hit a triple to bring her home, making the score 7–0. Ziehme scored on a base hit by Humphries to give Lamar County 8 runs. Smallwood reached base on a walk. Back-to-back base hits by Bailey Gunter and Caitlynn Whitaker made the score 10–0.
Dakota Crowley pitched four scoreless innings, giving up two runs in the final inning of play. She struck out five and only allowed three hits.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
| Dodge Co. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Lamar Co. | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | X | 10 | 12 | 2 |
Game 2 – Lamar County 12, Dodge County 0
The Lady Trojans secured the sweep on Wednesday with a shutout victory at Aldora Field.
Lamar County got started early in the top of the first. Keelie Smallwood doubled to get on base. With the count full and two outs, Bailey Gunter launched a bomb over the right field fence for a home run. A three-up-three-down inning made the score 2–0 in favor of Lamar County at the end of the first inning.
In the third inning, Keelie Smallwood reached second on a Dodge County error. Again with two outs, Bailey Gunter hammered her second homer of the game to make the score 4–0. A single by Whitaker and a walk by Hailey Stanley put two more Lamar runners on base. Layla Johnson batted them in on a ground ball to left field. Johnson scored from second after a single by Ziehme. The score was then 7–0.
Lamar County started cooking again in the fourth. The rally began with a single by Kylee Kington. She advanced to third base on an error by the Dodge County defense. Nya Brown came in as a courtesy runner, and she scored on a base hit by Smallwood. Not wanting to see a third homer by Bailey Gunter, Dodge County elected to intentionally walk the slugger. The next batter, Hailey Stanley, singled on a grounder to shortstop. With the bases loaded, Layla Johnson cleared the bases with a triple. She would also score herself on an error to make the score 12–0.
Pitcher, Kylee Kington, was in the circle for the second game. She threw for four innings, only giving up one hit and recording seven strikeouts.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | R | H | E | |
| LAMAR CO. | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 2 |
| DODGE CO. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Second Round of the Playoffs
Lamar County (No. 8) will advance and host Dade County (No. 9) in the second round at Aldora Field. The first game of the three-game series will be played on Wednesday, October 22 at 4:00 PM. Game two is set to begin at 6:00 PM. If the teams split the first and second games, a third game will be played on Thursday, October 23 and 3:30 PM.
Dade County swept Jasper County to advance to the Sweet 16. The winner of the series will move on to the GHSA State Tournament in Columbus.
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.
