WASHINGTON - Senior shortstop Casey Brooks scored what turned out to be the winning run in the seventh inning on a throwing error last Wednesday, as the Thomson High School Lady Bulldogs went on to win 4-3 over the Washington-Wilkes Lady Tigers in fast-pitch softball action.
The victory was the fifth of the season for the Lady Bulldogs and kept intact their undefeated season thus far.
"It was a great, come-from-behind win for us," Thomson Head Coach Jason Osborn said. "It's always good to win."
He's still concerned, however, that his team isn't hitting the ball as well as they should be.
"We still aren't hitting as well," Coach Osborn said. "We've got to start hitting the ball and getting down bunts better. We aren't running the bases like we are capable of doing either. We've got to work on all of those things. We're going to get better; it's just going to take more work."
The Lady Bulldogs trailed 2-0 after three innings.
Washington-Wilkes, whose overall record fell to 4-3, took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Yakila Banks led off with a single, which was hit sharply past Thomson third baseman India Usry. Lindsey Guin then smashed a double off Thomson sophomore pitcher Chelsea Reeves that allowed Banks to race home.
The Lady Bulldogs didn't get their first hit until the top of the second inning. Senior first baseman Mary Catherine Finnerty singled to right field with two outs and later stole second base on a slide. She was left stranded when sophomore center fielder Heather Shivers grounded out to Lady Tigers' pitcher Cayla Gillard.
In the bottom of the second, Washington-Wilkes scored another run to increase their lead to 2-0. Jaleesa Hampton drilled a double into the left, center field gap and later scored when Ashley Burt grounded out to Usry at third base.
Usry replaced Hannah Wilson, a freshman, who had started every game at third base, before she cracked a bone in her right hand during a recent practice. Wilson, who played as a pinch runner in the game against Washington-Wilkes, has a cast on her hand. Her playing time is expected to be limited for at least three weeks - the length of time doctors say she will have to wear the cast, according to her father, Wayne Wilson.
The Lady Bulldogs knotted the game, 2-2, on a pair of hits in the top of the fourth.
Senior Gloria Rowland grounded out to the lead off the inning before senior second baseman Nichole Usry reached on an error. Junior catcher Whitney Hillman then smashed a RBI double into the right center field gap that allowed Wilson to score.
Finnerty was then hit by a pitch before eventually scoring on a single into right field by Shivers.
The tie was broken in the bottom of the fifth, as the Lady Tigers struck for another run.
Thomson came right back in the top of the sixth to once again tie the game, 3-3. In the seventh, Brooks led off with a single into right field, later stole second and eventually scored the winning run when the Lady Tigers' right fielder overthrew the ball to the third baseman. Brooks had made it safely to third base on a sacrifice fly by Rowland.
