Worth County falls to Brantley in game one of state championship tournament

Photos by Darrell Roaden

COLUMBUS — For three innings Wednesday, Worth County appeared to be on its way to a strong start at the state softball tournament. By the end of the sixth, the Lady Rams were facing a fight to keep their season alive.

Brantley County erased a five-run deficit, scoring seven runs over its final two innings to hand Worth County a 9-6 loss at South Commons Softball Complex.

Now the Lady Rams must regroup for an elimination game against Rockmart (26-7) at 5 p.m. Thursday. Rockmart also will be trying to stay alive after losing its opener to Pike County 9-1.

For Worth County, the challenge will be putting a painful opener behind it after taking control early.

Sophomore pitcher Laurie Pritchard gave the Lady Rams an immediate lift with a solo home run to center field in the first inning. Brantley County answered with Addisyn Grafford’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half, but Worth County quickly went back to work.

The Lady Rams scored four times in the second. An error brought home the first run, Isabelle Hancock drew a bases-loaded walk and Molly Williford followed with a two-run single for a 5-1 lead.

When Kamryn Kendrick added a sacrifice fly in the third, Worth County’s advantage grew to 6-1.

Those early hits put the Lady Rams in position to win. The runs they could not find afterward left them vulnerable.

“We took an early lead,” Worth County coach Zach Mauldin said. “But we couldn’t get any more add-on runs, and we made a few mistakes on defense to let them back in it.”

With Mary Hall slowing Worth County’s offense in relief, Brantley County began working its way back. The Lady Herons trimmed the lead to 6-2, then scored three times in the fifth to make it a one-run game.

An inning later, the lead was gone.

Two Worth County errors and two walks helped Brantley County score four runs in the sixth. Three came home on an error, and Rilee Story added an RBI single to put the Lady Herons ahead 9-6.

The late mistakes overshadowed a productive day at the plate for Worth County, which outhit Brantley County 9-8. Williford finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Kendrick and Ellasyn Gandy also collected two hits each.

Pritchard pitched all six innings, striking out six and allowing eight hits and four walks. Only two of the nine runs charged to her were earned.

Hall earned the victory, holding the Lady Rams to one run on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. Lydia Anderson led Brantley County with three hits and two stolen bases, while Story added two hits.

Worth County has little time to dwell on how the opener slipped away. Thursday brings another chance — and the need to win to earn one more.

Mauldin believes his players will be ready.

“We’ll bounce back,” he said. “You can’t dwell on it because we’ve got to play tomorrow and win to stay alive. These girls are fighters, and I know they’ll come ready to play tomorrow.”