Lady Dogs win one, lose two in 8-AAA tourneyBy Nick Nunn
Staff Writer

The MCHS Lady Dogs competed in the 8-AAA Region Tournament in Hoschton, winning against Hart County 6-5 in the first game, but losing to Jackson County 4-6 and to North Oconee 3-6.
Neither team scored in the first game until the top of the fourth, when the Hart County Bulldogs took a three-run lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Morgan County scored their first run, but Hart County scored two more runs in the top of the fifth to bring the score to 1-5.
The Lady Dogs scored two runs in the sixth, beginning their eventual comeback in the seventh.
After Morgan County was able to hold them in the top of the seventh, the Lady Dogs had to score two runs to tie the game.
Alishia Frierson was on first as Aubree Cox came to the plate. Cox waited patiently on the pitch she wanted before hammering the ball past the leftfield fence for a two-run homer, tying the game at 5.
The Lady Dog bench erupted, and the entire team was waiting at home for Cox as she strode across the plate.
But the Lady Dogs weren’t finished yet.
Dee Pittman came to bat with two outs, and her infield hit looked like it would end the inning, but Hart County’s first baseman threw the ball over the head of the second baseman, who had shifted to cover first.
Seeing the error, Pittman made a dash for second base, sliding into the plate. But the throw to second was bad as well, and the ball went flying into the outfield.
Pittman had just enough time to get back to her feet and make it home on an infield hit that was little more than a bunt, winning the game in the bottom of the seventh for Morgan County.
The Lady Dogs poured onto the field again, exulting in their spectacular come-from-behind victory in the first round of the Region Tournament.
The Lady Dogs only had a few minutes to celebrate the victory before their second game, against the Jackson County Panthers, began.
The game against Jackson County was hard-fought, with the Panthers striking first. But Morgan County had a 2-1 lead going into the second.
The Panthers tied the score at 2-2 in the third, but Frierson broke the tie with a solo home run, making the score 3-2.
By the top of the fifth, Morgan County fell behind the Panthers by two runs, and the Lady Dogs were only able to score once more in the seventh, losing to the Jackson County 4-6.
The last tournament game for Morgan County was against North Oconee, who beat the Lady Dogs 6-3 in the eighth inning.
Cox hit homer in the first inning to put the Lady Dogs ahead.
North Oconee tied the game in the top of the second, but Morgan went ahead again by two runs in the bottom of the inning.
In the top of the sixth, North Oconee got a two-run homer, which tied the game 3-3.
Neither team scored again through the seventh, and the game had to be extended to an International Tie-Breaker for the eighth inning.
North Oconee was able to score three runs in the top of the eighth, giving them a lead that proved to be insurmountable by the Lady Dogs, who weren’t able to get any more runs.
The 3-6 loss to North Oconee ended the Lady Dogs’ 2012 season, having advanced to the second round of the 8-AAA Region Tournament.

 
Printed in the October 11, 2012