The Newton High school Lady Rams softball team (8-2 region, 8-9 overall, 2-AAAAAA) lost handedly in the first round of the playoffs to the Newnan Lady Cougars by scores of 14-0, and 12-4 Wednesday.
The Lady Rams couldn’t get their bats going early on in game one. Defensively, sophomore Britney Ellis was able to get help from her infield. She gave up two singles before a pop fly, and then a double play to end the top of the first inning. The Lady Rams made an error and left one Lady Cougar stranded on base.
At the bottom of the first inning, senior Ciara Bryan started off with a walk, before stealing second base. She moved to third base after junior Katy Ammons grounds out. The Lady Rams ended the inning with a strikeout. The top of the second inning for the Lady Cougars started with a walk followed by a ground out. They scored a run off of a single and an error made by the Lady Rams to go up 1-0.
Newnan tallied another single, followed by a double to score another run before a pop fly ended the top of the inning. The Lady Rams were down 2-0, needing hits to counter the Lady Cougars. Sophomore Madison Kinard did her part in the inning with a double with two outs and nobody on base, but she was left stranded after a groundout ended the inning.
The top of the third inning was when the Lady Cougars’ bats got hot. They started off with two doubles scoring a run, before following with a walk and a triple to score two more runs. They got one more double and a run scored before the inning ended on a pop fly. The Lady Rams outfield dropped three balls that would have stopped two doubles and a triple, but ended the inning with another error and one Lady Cougar left stranded.
The bottom of the third inning started with a walk on freshman Sapphire Ortega, but once again the Lady Rams couldn’t capitalize. They hit into a double play and ended the inning with a pop fly out.
With the score 6-0, the Lady Cougars look to add to their lead. They get a double, a pop fly out, and another double and a runner being thrown out at home plate. Another double into left field scored another run and it was followed by a walk and a single to score another run, 8-0 Lady Cougars.
A pop fly ended the top of the fourth with one runner left stranded. The Lady Rams go down in order in the bottom of the fourth inning. A strikeout and two pop fly catches ended the inning.
At the top of the fifth inning, the Lady Cougars get two singles before their first pop fly out. They get two more singles and a run scored before hitting a double scoring two more runs. Another double followed by another single scores two more runs before the inning is mercifully ended for the Lady Rams with a double play.
The Lady Rams had six errors and left two runners on base in this first game matchup. Their last at-bat started with singles by Ellis and Kinard, but to no avail as the runner for Ellis was thrown out at second and two pop flies ended the inning and the game. The Lady Cougars won 14-0. The Lady Rams only had four hits compared to 14 hits by the Lady Cougars.
In game two, the Lady Rams were the away team, so they started first. Bryan once again gets on base with a single. With one out, she steals second base and third base before a pop fly by Ammons allowed her to score.
Another pop fly ended the top of the inning with the Lady Rams leading 1-0. The Lady Cougars’ bats didn’t cool off after the game one break. They get a double and two singles before another RBI single scores runs. With two outs, the Lady Cougars hit another triple scoring a run, but Ellis ends the inning striking out a Lady Cougar.
The outfield had an error and left one on base. The score was 3-1 to start the second inning. Senior Ashton McKinnon started the inning with a walk after she was hit by a ball. She stole second base and scores after a ground out RBI by junior Tatyana Wimby. The Lady Rams end their half of the second with one run scored making it 3-2 Lady Cougars.
The bottom of the second, the Lady Cougars start with a ground out and a walk. They get a single but a runner was thrown out at second as the Lady Rams’ infield showed good awareness. The Lady Cougars walk and get a double scoring two more runs before grounding out to end the inning.
The Lady Rams’ bats were cold at the top of the third. A strikeout, a pop fly and another strikeout ended the top half of the inning quickly. The Lady Cougars’ bats were the opposite. They started with a pop fly out, but Ellis gave up a single before three walks in a row scored a run.
Newton coach Ashley Coles had a meeting at the mound with Ellis and the infield, and Ellis came back to the mound with a strikeout. The hope was short-lived, a single scored two more runs followed by a triple to score two more runs making the score 10-2.
At the top of the fourth, Ammons gets a single but was thrown out at second base on a steal attempt. With two outs, McKinnon singled, but to no avail as a groundout ended the inning right after.
At the bottom of the fourth, Ellis walked two more batters before being relieved by McKinnon. The Lady Cougars get a RBI single, but a ground out and a double play ended the inning.
The top of the fifth was the last chance for the Lady Rams’ bats to get hot. After a pop fly and a ground out, Ariana Molina gets inserted into the lineup and hits a single. The Lady Rams’ Bryan did her part in a rally attempt by hitting a homerun to right field scoring two runs, which got the dugout excited. Once again, the excitement was short-lived as a strikeout ended the game. The Lady Rams end their season and the Lady Cougars move to round two to play South Forsyth.
