Latta’s Lady Vikings took down Lamar 13-3 on Wednesday to claim the Class A District V championship, then battled Hannah-Pamplico in the first round of the Lower State playoffs for a 5-4 win.
In the District V finale, Latta scored their first run in the second inning to lead 1-0. The two teams mostly held each other off until the bottom of the fifth, when Latta scored five runs for a 6-0 lead. Lamar finally got on the board with three runs in the fourth, but seven runs from Latta in the sixth ended the game at 13-3. Lamar had seven hits in the loss, while Latta had 12.
Anna Rogers got the win for Latta, pitching five innings for six hits, three earned runs, and one walk. She struck out seven. Morgan Mason also pitched one inning for one hit.
Ashley Dorrity took the loss for the Silver Foxes, pitching six innings for 12 earned runs, 12 hits, and one walk, striking out one.
Latta’s leading hitters included Dallas Sweat, 2-for-3 with a triple, three RBIs, and three runs scored; Raven Baxley, 2-for-4 with two runs scored; Paige Lovett, 2-for-3 with an RBI and one run scored; Mikenzi Caniglia, 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored; and Chelsea Welty, 2-for-4 with a double and one run scored.
Also hitting for Latta, Allison Moody was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored; Charise Braddy, 1-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored; Dori Webster, 1-for-3 with one run scored; and Anna Benton Love, one RBI and one run scored.
Saturday’s game with Hannah-Pamplico was a much closer affair, with the Lady Vikings squeaking out a 5-4 win in the last two innings. Both teams were scoreless until the bottom of the third, when Hannah-Pamplico’s Raiders scored two runs for a 2-0 lead. The Lady Raiders added two more in the fifth to lead 4-0, but the Lady Vikings began to rally in the sixth. While Morgan Mason held off the Raiders from the mound, Anna Benton Love drove in two runs in the sixth to bring the score to 4-2.
Then in the seventh, with two outs and nobody on base, Raven Baxley hit a single, followed by Dallas Sweat being hit by a pitch, and a walk for Chelsea Welty. Anna Benton Love then hit one strike pitch sharply up the middle for two runs scored as Welty advanced to third. A throw was made trying to get Welty at third, but the ball got by the Raiders and Welty scored for the 5-4 win.
Morgan Mason earned the win on the mound, pitching all seven innings for nine hits, four runs, two earned runs, and two walks, striking out three. Hannah-Pamplico’s Lindsay Prosser took the loss, pitching all seven innings for eight hits, five runs, four earned runs, two walks, and three hit by pitch. She struck out four.
Latta’s leading hitters included Love, 2-for-4 with a double and five RBIs; Raven Baxley, 4-for-4 with two doubles and one run scored; Dallas Sweat, 1-for-2 with two runs scored; Allison Moody, 1-for-4; and Chelsea Welty, 1-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
Hannah-Pamplico’s leading hitters included Amber Purvis, 2-for-3; Kristen Rogers, 2-for-3; and Shama Sanders, 2-for-3.
Latta’s record improves to 20-7 overall with the wins. On Monday, the Lady Vikings were scheduled to take on East Clarendon. If Latta won, they won’t play again until Friday, May 13, when they’ll host the Lower State championship game. If they lost, they’ll have to face the winner of Monday’s game between Lake View and Hannah-Pamplico on Wednesday, May 11.
UPDATED: Latta defeated East Clarendon 1-0 on Monday and will host the Lower State championship game on Friday.
