Lee County sweeps Coffee, moves closer to region championship

DOUGLAS — The Lee County Lady Trojans went to Douglas on Thursday afternoon with control of the region race.

They came home with an even tighter grip on it.

Lee County swept Coffee 5-0 and 6-4, extending its winning streak to six games and moving the No. 3-ranked Lady Trojans to 23-2 overall and 14-1 in region play.

Now only Veterans stands between Lee County and the region championship.

“We like being in the driver’s seat, for sure,” Lee County coach Hannah Spencer said.

The Lady Trojans haven’t clinched the title yet. Veterans remains mathematically alive but must win its remaining region games, including an Oct. 6 makeup doubleheader against Lee County that was postponed by rain earlier this season.

Thursday’s sweep made the situation considerably simpler for the Lady Trojans: Keep winning and the championship is theirs.

Tina Benton made sure Lee County took the first step Thursday.

Benton dominated Coffee in the opener, throwing a three-hit shutout in the 5-0 victory. She kept Coffee off the scoreboard for all seven innings while the Lady Trojans gradually built their lead.

Lee County broke through in the third inning when an error allowed the game’s first run to score. The Lady Trojans eventually finished with eight hits and took advantage of Coffee mistakes to pull away.

Brylyn Parsons led Lee County at the plate, going 2-for-4, while Izzy Evans, Mac Davis and Jaydynne Frisbee each drove in a run.

The second game required a comeback.

Coffee struck for two runs in the bottom of the first inning and held the early advantage before Lee County’s offense came alive.

The Lady Trojans took the lead with a three-run fourth inning. Coffee committed an error before Frisbee and Evans delivered run-scoring singles down the left-field line.

This time Benton did her damage with the bat.

After shutting out Coffee in the opener, she went 3-for-4 in the nightcap to lead a 10-hit Lee County attack. Kennady Patrick added two hits, while Evans, Davis, Frisbee and Parsons each drove in a run.

Reese Watkins handled the pitching duties and went the distance, allowing four runs on seven hits over seven innings. She worked around five walks and helped preserve the lead after Lee County moved in front.

The 6-4 victory completed a productive week against Coffee. Lee County also defeated the Lady Trojans 5-3 Tuesday in Leesburg, giving Spencer’s team three victories over one of its closest region challengers in three days. Albany Herald

It also continued an impressive response since Lee County’s 17-game winning streak ended with a 6-1 loss at Houston County on Sept. 15. The Lady Trojans haven’t lost since.

Now their attention turns to the final stretch of the regular season — and eventually Veterans.

Lee County hosts Perry on Monday and Lowndes on Wednesday before the Oct. 6 doubleheader that could determine whether the Lady Trojans finish the job and claim the region championship.