LaFayette falls to Valley in cross-county matchup
BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — The LaFayette High School softball team fell 18-0 to Chambers County rivals Valley High School at the Valley Sportsplex on April 22.
Addison Lee tallied two runs and two RBIs and Amari Lowe scored three runs for VHS as the Lady Rams batted .545 in 22 total at-bats.
VHS’s three pitchers also combined to strike out eight of the Lady Bulldogs’ nine batters while allowing no hits in the three-inning game.
With the victory, the Lady Rams improved to 9-21 on the season, while the Lady Bulldogs fell to 0-6 in their final regular-season matchup.
With a game against Elmore County High School in the 5A Area 6 tournament looming, last Wednesday’s contest against LHS provided an excellent opportunity to prepare according to VHS head coach Madyson Brown Messer.
“The girls had fun today, they played well and were good sports about everything,” Brown Messer said. “It’s a good boost and a good [light-hearted moment] to move forward into the area tournament. We’ve got a little round-robin tournament this weekend and a full week of practice next week to get prepared. We’re excited and ready to go for the postseason.”
While Brown Messer said she was pleased with the performance from top to bottom, she particularly singled out the pitching staff for throwing a collective no-hitter.
Among those pitchers was Lee, who combined her near-flawless batting performance with two strikeouts during her first-ever varsity appearance on the mound.
Lee said her team’s performance would help give them more confidence and courage as they seek to extend their campaign into the postseason with a strong showing in the area tournament.
“It felt very different, because I’ve never pitched for varsity, always for JV, but it felt very different to do that,” Lee said. “Everybody in the field helped cheer me on, encouraged me and told me I’ve got this and everything.”
The Lady Rams erupted for 15 runs in the first inning, powered by a three-run double from Kamora Prothro and extra-base hits from Addison Lee, Sailor St. George and Reese Lynch. In total, the Lady Rams sent 20 batters to the plate in the opening frame.
With the game already out of hand, Sydney Carlisle added a two-run inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the second. Two at-bats later, Chloey Simmons knocked home Kallen Vallia from third base with a single to conclude the scoring.
Payson Meadows struck out all three batters she faced in a perfect inning in the circle. Lee and St. George — who also struck out all three batters she faced — both pitched scoreless relief innings to close it out.
LHS’s Savannah Luse battled to record two strikeouts, and the Lady Bulldogs turned a double play in a showcase of improved fielding.
