VHS Finishes 3rd In State

The Vidalia High School softball team took on Banks County in the Elite 8 at home on Tuesday of last week and then traveled to Columbus last weekend to take part in the GHSA State AA Final 4 Tournament. The Indians picked up a win in their first game of the tournament over Bremen, but dropped their next two games to Heard County and Lovett to finish in third place in the State Playoffs.

VHS vs. Banks Game 1 Bailey Holland was in the circle for the Indians in the first game of the best-of-three series. She held in the top of the first inning, and in the bottom half of the frame Ashtyn Braddy was hit by a pitch, and she took second and third on passed balls. Emma Humphrey walked and Braddy came in to score on the play. Holland walked and then a wild pitch moved the runners up. Tori Wright hit a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third inning with two runners on, Wright hit a line drive, RBI double for a 3-0 lead. Alli Taufmann hit a 2 run double for a 5-0 lead, and then Tymber Harris made it 6-0 with a double. Janiya Bobbitt came through with an RBI single as the Indians led 7-0. Rileigh Robinson added a single, and another run scored on a hit by Humphrey to make it 8-0 heading to the fourth inning.

Banks did score a run in the top of the continued from page

Game 2

fourth inning on an error. In the bottom of the fifth inning Braddy was hit by a pitch and Humphrey followed that with a two-run home run to end the game by the run rule, 10-1.

VHS was up first in the second game. They didn't get anything going in the first inning, but in the second they loaded the bases and scored the first run on an error. Braddy laid down a bunt to score a second run. Holland was hit by a pitch for a 3-0 lead and then Wright hit a 3 RBI double for a 6-0 lead. Taufmann added a hit for a 7-0 lead. The Indians added four more runs in the inning to take an 11-0 lead.

VHS was in control of the game, but Banks did not give up and began to work their way back into the game. They picked up a run in the fourth inning, and in the fifth inning they scored four more runs to close the lead to 11-5. Banks picked up one more run in the sixth inning, and then in the bottom of the seventh inning they scored two more runs to make it 11-8, but VHS finally got the third out to end the game and get the win.

That moved the Indians into the Final 4 in Columbus.

VHS vs. Bremen

This was the third trip to the Final 4 in the past 5 years for the Indians.

On Friday in Columbus the Indians got quite a bit of help from the Bremen Blue Devils' pitchers as walks led to several runs for VHS on their way to an 8-3 win.

In the top of the first inning a walk, a stolen base and a double put Bremen up 1-0 and then a triple gave them a 2-0 lead over VHS. In the bottom of the first inning Humphrey doubled and took third on a passed ball. Wright walked and stole second, but a stikeout sent the game to the second inning with Bremen on top 2-0. Holland was in the circle and settled down in the second inning. In the second Madison Starr singled and Robinson got a hit. Braddy walked to load the bases, and then walks to Humphrey and Holland tied the game at 2-2. Wright hit a 3 RBI triple to the fence and gave VHS the lead 5-2. Bremen scored a run in the top of the third inning to close it to 5-3. Bremen also had runners on base in the fourth inning, but a big strikeout by Holland got the Indians out of the inning. In the bottom of the frame Holland and Wright walked as did Harris to load the bases. Bobbitt walked to bring in a run for a 6-3 lead. Robinson also walked as did Braddy as VHS went ahead 8-3. The Indians and Holland held in the sixth and seventh innings to get the win over Bremen and advance to the next round in the winners' bracket. Holland struck out 12 batters in the game.

VHS vs. Heard

In the second game of the day on Friday for VHS, Holland was in the circle again. She had another good performance as she added 16 strikeouts to her total for the tournament, but VHS couldn't get the bats going as they fell to the Braves of Heard.

VHS had a runner on in the second but a double play sent the game to the second inning with the score still 0-0. An error in the top of the second inning put a runner on second base for Heard. A double put runners at second and third and then a hit into leftcenter put the Braves on top 2-0.

In the bottom of the second inning VHS hit the ball hard, but one was a great catch by the center fielder of the Braves in which she dove and actually broke her finger on the play.

VHS held in the top of the third, but could not capitilize as Heard held their 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth inning with Humphrey on base Wright blasted a two-run home run over the center-field fence to tie the game at 2-2.

In the top of the fifth inning with a runner on base and error allowed a run to score to put Heard back on top, 3-2.

VHS was held in the fifth and sixth innings, but continued to get good pitching from Holland, who kept it at just a one-run game.

VHS came up in the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs Harris got a single, but pop out ended the game with Heard winning 3-2 over the Indians. That sent VHS into the losers' bracket to face Lovett.

VHS vs. Lovett

Saturday the Indians took on Lovett for a chance to get to the Championship Game. Starr got the call to start the game in the circle for VHS. She threw a very good game, giving up just 4 hits while striking out 8 batters, but the Indians couldn't get the hits when they needed them as they fell to Lovett. Lovett broke a scoreless 0-0 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the 2-0 lead. Following a strikeout to start the inning, Lovett strung together four straight hits to produce two runs before the Indians could get out of the inning.

The Lady Indians never threatened as they could only muster three hits on the afternoon and never advance a runner past first base. Wright had two of those hits for VHS.

Holland came in, in relief allowing no runs on 2 hits with 4 strikeouts, to bring her total for the tournament to 32 strikeouts.

The Indians will say goodbye to four Seniors – Ashtyn Brady, Janiya Bobbitt, Treyunna Roundtree, and Ryan Norfleet, but return 7 of 9 from the starting lineup as they head into the 2021 season.

Madison Starr threw a good game against Lovett in Columbus during the Final 4 Tournament.Photo by Carroll Williams