Dillon’s #1 Adoshia Graves steals second. (Photos by Johnnie Daniels/THE DILLON HERALD.)
Dillon’s Lady Wildcats fell 3-2 to Johnsonville on Tuesday night to be eliminated from the Class 2A Lower State softball playoffs.
The defending state champs finished the season with a 17-7 record.
Dillon led 1-0 after three innings, but Johnsonville scored two runs in the top of the fourth. Jada Parsons drew a walk and Brittany Warren made a bunt and reached on a throwing error to put runners on first and second. With one out, Macy Poston popped one up over third for a double to score Parsons and tie the game. Maggie Leviner followed with a grounder to second that scored Warren and gave the Flashes two outs and a 2-1 lead. Jessica Feagin got a grounder to end the inning.
Dillon led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run from Shaquailla German to tie the game once again at 2-2. But the next three batters went up and out with a pop up, a grounder, and a fly to end the inning.
The Wildcats held off Johnsonville in the top of the fifth, and led off the bottom of the inning with two outs. Adoshia Graves made a bunt and reached first safely, stealing second on Shar’Asia Samuel’s turn at bat. But Samuel popped one out to the short stop to end the inning with Graves stranded at second.
Two grounders and a fly in the top of the sixth sent the Wildcats back to bat, where Auh’Kieria Smiling hit a line drive by the center for a double. German drew a walk with Taylor Blackmon running in her place for runners at first and second. Erin Bailey lined one out to the short stop for the first out, and Brittany Miller hit a grounder to third for a fielder’s choice, taking out Smiling at third. With two outs and runners at first and second, Da’Kerhia Samuel hit a grounder to third to end the inning with the score still tied at 2-2.
In the top of the seventh, Johnsonville led off with Poston getting a base hit over second. Leviner attempted a bunt but was hit by the ball out of the box for the first out. Feagin drew a walk to put runners on first and second, and Arlie Ard laid down a bunt with the Wildcats throwing to third, allowing all three runners to reach safely to load the bases. Maelyn Thompson followed with a hit to left for single to score Poston for a 3-2 lead, and Kayla Ard hit a grounder to the short stop and the Wildcats took out Feagin on the way home for the second out. Johnsonville got another hit to the pitcher and again the Wildcats put the runner out on the way home to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Tori Grimsley got a pop up behind the pitcher that was caught by the short stop for Dillon’s first out. Johnsonville pitcher Savanna Young struck out Johnna Rogers, and Graves attempted a bunt but was put out at first to end the game.
Young got the win for Johnsonville, pitching a complete game for five hits, two runs, no walks, and five outs. German took the loss for Dillon, pitching a complete game for three hits, three runs, four walks, and six outs.
Poston went 2-for-3 with one RBI to lead the Lady Flashes at bat, and Maelyn Thompson went 1-for-4 with one RBI. Johnsonville had three hits and two errors in the win.
For the Wildcats, Auh’Kieria Smiling went 2-for-3; Shaquailla German went 1-for-1 with a home run; and Da’Kerhia Samuel went 1-for-3. The Wildcats had five hits and two errors in the effort.
Johnsonville improved to 25-4 and was scheduled to travel to Andrews on Wednesday for a second elimination game. Aynor defeated Andrews 12-2 in six innings on Tuesday night to advance to the lower state championship scheduled for Friday at Aynor.
Photos by Johnnie Daniels/THE DILLON HERALD. Click the images below to view at full size!
