No. 2 Lee County opens Class 6A softball playoffs against Milton

LEESBURG — The Lee County Lady Trojans have earned the right to stay home for the opening rounds of the Class 6A state softball playoffs.

Now comes the difficult part: making that advantage count.

Lee County finished the regular season 25-3 and earned the No. 2 seed in the state tournament. The Lady Trojans will host Milton in a best-of-three first-round series beginning Wednesday.

The teams will play a doubleheader starting at 4:30 p.m. If they split Wednesday’s games, the deciding third game will be played Thursday.

“Being the No. 2 seed is exciting,” Lee County coach Hannah Spencer said. “We know that rankings don’t win games. We have to take care of business on the field.”

Milton enters the postseason 13-12 after placing fourth in Region 7. Lee County, meanwhile, brings a lineup powered by one of the state’s most productive leadoff hitters.

Catcher Porter Butler enters the playoffs batting .560 with a .661 on-base percentage. That means Butler has reached safely in nearly two of every three plate appearances, consistently giving the heart of Lee County’s order an opportunity to produce runs.

Brylyn Parsons is batting .410 and leads the Lady Trojans with nine home runs, providing power in the middle of the lineup.

Lee County’s depth in the circle may be an even greater advantage in a postseason series that could require three games over two days.

Senior Tina Benton leads the staff with a 14-1 record and a 1.81 ERA. Sophomore Reese Watkins is 6-1 with a team-best 1.76 ERA, while senior Makinley Duke is 4-0 with a 2.78 ERA.

Together, the three pitchers are 24-2.

They also work in front of a defense that has committed few costly mistakes. Lee County owns a .949 team fielding percentage, with Kennady Patrick leading the way with a perfect 1.000 mark.

That combination—an offense capable of producing runs, three dependable pitchers and a steady defense—helped carry the Lady Trojans through the regular season and secure one of the state tournament’s most favorable paths.

Still, Spencer does not want her players thinking about rankings, records or what might await them beyond Wednesday.

“We approach every game with the mindset that the score is 0-0, and we have to earn every out, every run and every win,” Spencer said. “We know nothing is guaranteed.”

If Lee County advances past Milton, the Lady Trojans will remain in Leesburg to host the second round. The eight teams that survive the opening two rounds will advance to the state tournament at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus from Oct. 28-31.

That destination is within sight. Spencer, however, wants the Lady Trojans focused first on protecting their home field.

“We’re incredibly excited for the opportunity to host the first and second rounds of the state playoffs right here in Leesburg, Georgia, in front of our home crowd,” Spencer said. “We’re ready to compete, trust our preparation and take it one game at a time.”