2007 Softball: Lady Bulldogs win Hamilton Tourney, sweep series with Lady Hornets

The next-to-last week of regular-season softball offered nearly everything Gallatin’s Lady Bulldogs could want, except a lone share of the Grand River Conference title.

The Lady Bulldogs took a 15-0 record to King City Tuesday night, but came away on the wrong end of a 5-1 decision to the Lady Wildkats. It was a long week for Gallatin, which played six games in six days.

King City, 15-5 overall and 5-3 in the league, built a 5-0 lead before Kirsten Bowe drove in Lacey Dixon with Gallatin’s only run in the seventh inning. Nicole Everman, Kaddie Mott and Wren Tolen each had a hit for the Lady Bulldogs.

Dixon struck out seven batters, walked three and allowed four hits in her first losing effort of the season.

Gallatin and South Harrison share the GRC crown with identical 7-1 records. The Lady Bulldogs are league champs for the second straight season and third time in the last four campaigns.

Despite Tuesday’s setback, Gallatin had plenty of high points from the week past.

Tourney sweep

Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Hamilton in Saturday’s Hamilton Tournament opener registered as Gallatin’s fifth one-run win of the season, and fourth victory in a last at-bat.

With the game tied, 1-1, in the top of the seventh and the time limit expired, umpires implemented a rarely-used tie-breaker.

The Lady Hornets were awarded a runner on second with one out to start the frame. After getting a ground-ball out, Dixon had to pitch her way out of a jam with runners on second and third. She struck out Kelsey Schieber to end the threat.

Gallatin’s turn came with Nicole Everman on second with one out. Kirsten Bowe laid down a perfect bunt in front of the plate. Catcher Lacy Jones fielded the ball but threw low and just wide of first base. The ball rolled into the outfield and Everman scored with the winning run.

Hamilton scored a single run in the third inning despite Gallatin getting a pair of force-outs at the plate. Gallatin tied the game in the sixth when Courtney Ray walked and later scored on Dixon’s ground out.

The Lady Bulldogs, behind a 5-strikeout pitching performance by Carly Boyd, beat LeBlond in their second game, then ended the day with a 16-0, 3-inning pasting of North Platte.

GHS Softball Leaders/Hamilton Tournament

Ashley Owens: 4-for-9, 4 runs, rbi, double

Lacey Dixon: 5-for-8, 3 runs, 4 rbi,11 strikeouts, Wins vs. Hamilton, N. Platte

Shelby Chadwick: 4-for-8, 3 runs, 4 rbi, 2 doubles

Kirsten Bowe: 3-for-6, run, 2 rbi

Maggie Strange: 2-for-6, 4 runs, 3 rbi, triple

Courtney Ray: 1-for-5, rbi, 5 runs

Nicole Everman: 1-for-6, 2 runs, 2 rbi

Kaddie Mott: 1-for-5, run

Carly Boyd: 5 strikeouts, win vs. LeBlond

Another nailbiter

Chadwick stepped to the plate with one out and the bags juiced in the bottom of the 8^th inning in last Thursday’s pivotal conference game against Hamilton. GHS fans anticipated bat-to-ball contact with one of the next pitches. It never happened.

Owens raced home with the winning run on a passed ball that seemed to cross up catcher Lacy Jones. Gallatin’s 4-3 win locked up at least a share of the GRC title and gave the Lady Bulldogs momentum heading into the weekend tournament.

The final inning began when Owens smashed a lead off single to center and alertly moved all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ray. Hornet hurler Molly Schieber issued what amounted to intentional walks to Strange and Dixon, setting the stage for the climactic finish.

Gallatin nursed a 3-0 lead as Dixon no-hit the Lady Hornets through 4 1/3 innings. Dixon drove in Ray with the first run of game in the first inning. Kaddie Mott’s single to right in the second plated Everman and Bowe.

Hamilton’s Shelby Dickey broke up the no-hitter with a single in the fifth. Micah Brown hit a grounder to Owens at second, but her throw to Chadwick covering the bag hit Dickey in the back. Kaylyn Collett hit a slow roller to the right of the mound and Dixon had no play at any bag.

Lacy Jones cleared the bases with a sinking liner to left that Everman could not glove.

Dixon fanned seven in her 3-hit winning effort. Schieber struck out six and gave up six hits over the course of the game.

EB victim #15

Dixon threw seven innings of two-hit ball as Gallatin shut out East Buchanan, 4-0, on Monday and upped the Lady Bulldog record to 15-0. The visiting Lady Bulldogs hit only one ball hard out of the infield and advanced only one batter farther than first base.

Dixon helped her cause (8 K on the mound) at the plate by going 2-for-2 with a double and run scored. Strange doubled and scored twice. Everman had a single and rbi. Chadwick and Bowe each drove in a run. Mott added a hit to the GHS attack.

Benton Tourney

Because the Albany Tournament was cancelled early in the season, Gallatin has been able to add the St. Joe Benton Tournament to their schedule on Saturday. Other teams in the event are Benton, Lafayette, St. Pius, Park Hill South, Cameron, LeBlond, Mid-Buchanan, Savannah and Schuyler County.

The tournament will begin at 8 a.m. on three fields at Heritage Park. There will be four pools of play, with all teams advancing to single elimination brackets. All teams are guaranteed at least three games.

Gallatin will play Park Hill South at 11 a.m. in Pool D. If they win, the Lady Bulldogs will play at 12:30 p.m. against the winner of Pool B containing Mid-Buchanan, LeBlond and Savannah. A loss at 11 a.m. would put Gallatin in a 2 p.m. game against the second place team in Pool B.

GRC Softball Standings

*Games counted thru 9/25