Toombs Finishes With 21-2 Record

Courtesy of TCHS

It was a busy week for the Toombs County High School Lady Bulldogs softball team as they got back into the action after time off due to Hurricane Helene. The Bulldogs, who are ranked #1 in the state, closed out their regular season with three more wins as they improved their record to 21-2 overall, and they ended Region play with a perfect 12-0 record. vs. Vidalia

The Toombs County Lady Dawgs powered past the Vidalia Indians on Tuesday night, riding a hot bat from Taylor Bland to a 5-0 victory. Bland was unstoppable at the plate, launching two home runs and driving in three of the Bulldogs’ five runs. She homered to left field in the third inning to give the Lady Dawgs an early lead and crushed a solo shot to center in the seventh to seal the win.

The bottom of the Lady Dawgs’ lineup delivered in a big way, with Bland, Natalie Quintero, and Emerson Powell combining for four of the team’s seven hits. The trio accounted for three runs and three RBIs, playing a key role in the offensive production.

Toombs County jumped on the board in the third inning when Bland’s two-run homer to left made it 2-0. Aniston Powell’s groundout brought in another run, extending the lead to 3-0. In the seventh inning, Bland struck again with her solo blast to center, and an error by Vidalia allowed another run to cross the plate, securing the 5-0 victory for the Lady Dawgs.

Shay Stringer was dominant in the circle, going the distance and striking out 16 batters while allowing just three hits and no runs.

Nora Grace Mercer also had a strong continued from page

game at the plate for Toombs County, collecting two hits in four at-bats. vs. Metter

Casey Cantwell delivered a standout performance at the plate on Wednesday, driving in four runs on four hits to lead the Toombs County Lady Dawgs to a 7-0 victory over the Metter Tigers. Cantwell was a force throughout the game, with an RBI double in the first inning, a two-run single in the second, and a solo home run to center field in the seventh to seal the win.

In the circle, Shay Stringer was nearly unhittable, striking out 12 batters over five scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and walking three. Cantwell then came in to close out the game, pitching two more shutout innings and allowing only two hits.

The Lady Dawgs jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when Cantwell doubled to bring in the game’s first run. They extended their lead in the second inning with a threerun surge, highlighted by RBI singles from Nora Grace Mercer and Cantwell, pushing the score to 4-0.

Cantwell capped off her perfect day at the plate with a towering solo homer to center field in the top of the seventh, putting the finishing touches on the Lady Dawgs’ victory.

Defensively, Toombs County was flawless, committing no errors. vs. St. Vincent's

The Toombs County Lady Dawgs used a huge third inning to cruise to an 8-0 victory over the St. Vincent’s Saints on Thursday night. A five-run outburst in the third, highlighted by clutch hits from Casey Cantwell and Mishi Smith, put the game out of reach and secured the win for Toombs County.

The Lady Dawgs’ offense came alive in the third inning when Cantwell doubled to bring in two runs, followed by a Shay Stringer RBI single. Mishi Smith then capped off the rally with a two-run single, giving Toombs a comfortable lead. Cantwell was equally effective in the circle, tossing four no-hit innings, while striking out four and walking none to earn the win. Stringer closed out the game with a perfect inning of relief, striking out two batters and allowing no hits.

At the plate, Stringer, Cantwell, and Nora Grace Mercer each collected two hits, with Stringer and Cantwell combining to drive in six of the Lady Dawgs’ eight runs. The aggressive base running paid off, as the Lady Dawgs stole four bases and played flawless defense with no errors.

With this victory, the Lady Dawgs finish the regular season 21-2 overall and 12-0 in the Region. They look to take this momentum into the State Playoffs which start this week.

Toombs will be matched up against Putnam County in the first round and they will play a best-ofthree series that will begin on Friday at 1:00 p.m. Putnam is the #4 team out of Region 1, and will come into the game with a record of 3-15 on the year.