COLUMBUS, Ga. — It wasn't looking good for the Dawson County softball team on Thursday in the Class 3A Tournament.
The Tigers (16-19) found themselves down, 3-0, to Pike County (23-5). Then the bats came alive as the once No. 4 seed in the tournament knocked off the Pirates, 12-5 to advance in the winner's bracket at the Olympic Softball Complex.
"The girls played great," Dawson County coach Justin Rickett said. "[We] got off to a slow start then had a big inning. Our girls are doing a great job, and I am so proud of them. [We] had a great crowd today, so thankful for everyone who made the trip and watched from home. Go Tigers!"
Dawson County, behind the firepower of Ace Cochran, Layne Bailey and Olivia Martinez, hammered out four runs in the second inning to grab the lead, 4-3, and take all the momentum in the game.
Reese Moore started the inning on a double, followed by a Micah Burruss single to centerfield. Then Cochran doubled on the first pitch of the at-bat, scoring Moore. Ainsley Allen followed with a perfectly placed laid down sacrifice bunt to bring Burruss home. Bailey punched an 0-1 count to centerfield to bring Cochran home to tie the game, 3-3. A batter later, Martinez's double to left field sent Bailey to the plate and the lead, 4-3.
In the fourth inning, Anslee Kirby's single to right field scored Allen, who reached earlier on a bunt, and Lauren Kurtz, who walked, to push the Tigers' lead, 6-3.
But it was the fifth inning that provided the knock-out blow for the Tigers. After Allen reached on an error that scored Gracie Vaughan, Bailey smashed a three-run home run to bring Rylie Erickson and Allen home with her. Martinez added the final two runs with a homer to left field, scoring Kurtz.
Bailey earned the win in the circle for Dawson County, allowing 12 hits and five runs while striking out two and walking one in seven innings of work.
The Tigers will play Harlem Friday at 9 a.m. If they lose, the Tigers will drop to the loser's bracket.
