By Lonnie Turner
The City of Dillon Dixie Belles breezed through the District Tournament in Dillon during the week of June 20 to June 24 finishing the 5-team double elimination Tourney with a perfect 4-0 record.
Riding the pitching arms of Shaquailla German, Taylor Price and Leah McMillan the Dillon All Stars blanked Cheraw 20-0 in 5 innings as the three pitchers threw a no-hitter. German, the starter, pitched to eight batters in the first two innings and struck out five. She was followed on the mound by Price, who struck out six of the seven batters she faced in two innings. McMillan retired the side in order in the fifth, striking out one of the three batters that she faced. The Dillon All Stars belted out seven extra base hits in their hitting marathon. Leading the way was Alex Lane with two triples, the last coming with the bases loaded in the top of the 5th inning. Three other girls hit triples including Tawanaka Hunt, De’Kera Samuel and Breanna Froneberger. Doubles by Froneberger and Price tallied two more runs batted in and hitting singles were Tara Grimsley, Makayla Drake and Margaret Desser.
The Dillon All Stars defeated Johnsonville, 11-1, in Tuesday’s first game on a one-hitter by Taylor Price and Shaquailla German. Price was perfect through three innings striking out eight of the nine batters that she faced. German, in relief, struck out 12 over the next four innings and gave up a single to Annsley Mace that scored the lone run for Johnsonville. Breanna Froneberger continued with her hot bat driving in two runs with a pair of singles in three official times at the plate, getting a pair of singles. De’Kera Drake singled with the bases loaded in the first to drive two runs home in an opening 5-run first inning and Tara Grimsley drove in a run with a single in the 5th when the Dillon girl’s extended their lead to 8-1. Consecutive sacrifice fly balls by German and Price scored two more runs in the 7th inning and a bases loaded walk to Margaret Desser ended the scoring. Sarah Fitzgibbon and Tawanaka Hunt also singled for Dillon.
Dillon continued to get outstanding pitching from Taylor Price and Shaquailla German in an 8-0 decision over Darlington on Wednesday. The duo allowed only three hits and struck out a combined total of 15, eight for German and 7 for Taylor, without a single walk in the complete 7-inning game. Tawanaka Hunt’s two-out single in the third inning scored Leah McMillan with the only run her team would need to get the win and German followed with a single to give the Dillon All Stars a 3-0 lead. Two walks and a hit batter off Darlington pitching ace Ramsey Sherrill and a pair of singles Shar’Asia Samuel and Alex Lane chased her off the mound in the fifth as Dillon put five more runs on the scoreboard.
Darlington earned a re-match with Dillon by defeating Johnsonville, 13-3, in five innings on Thursday, but again the pitching combination of Shaquailla German and Taylor Price proved to be too much for the Darlington County All Stars in the championship game on Friday as Dillon won the championship by a score of 10-2. German started the game and pitched four innings allowing just two runners over the minimum of 12. She struck out six, walked one and gave up a single to Jada Richardson to start the 2nd inning. Even though Taylor Price was a little off her game on the mound giving up two runs on three hits, three walks and two hit batters, she cleared the bases with a three-run shot over the left field fence to give her teammates all the runs needed to get the win. She also doubled and singled in two more trips to the plate. Makayla Drake also went 3 for 3 and German was 2 for 2 for the champions. Tara Grimsley drove in a run with a double and getting base hits were Tawanaka Hunt and De’Kera Samuel.
Dillon will play in the state tournament in Florence later in the week.
