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Thank you for remembering my grandmother and father. Donna Puckett, Jonesville NC...read more...

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Lincoln, Garrard eye regional detention center

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DANVILLE – Garrard County’s Lady Golden Lions had their claws out Monday in the first game of the 45th District Tournament, ripping Lincoln County 15-3.

Lincoln took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but it was all Garrard the rest of the way. The Lady Lions (29-8) scored in every at-bat, roaring back in the bottom of the first with six runs then adding three more in each of the second, third and fourth innings.

“It was a whole lot of Garrard, a whole lot not of us,” said Lincoln coach Clinton Hammack.

Monday’s matchup was the third meeting between the two teams this season and the third time that Garrard, the defending district and 12th Region champion, has won by 10 or more runs. The difference between the earlier games and the tourney game was that, this time, Lincoln was in trouble early.

“We gave up way too many (runs) too early. We held them in check most of the game at home and held them in check most of the game up at their place,” said Hammack. “Today, we just kind of fell apart and didn’t make the plays we needed to make. You don’t make the plays and you go home.”

Despite Garrard’s dominance in the district, Lincoln came out ready to play. Amber Mason and Alyssa Meece both walked off Garrard’s Hannah Miniard to reach and moved around on wild pitches. Mason’s time on base came to an end when Kellie Conley tagged an RBI-single to right to send her home.

Lincoln (5-23) threatened to build on its lead after Ande Stamper, the Lady Patriots’ lone senior, laid down a bunt to load up the bases. However, Miniard got Sam Anderson and Ashley Owens to strike out to escape the jam.

Lincoln missed another chance to score in the second when Amanda Conway and Meece, who both walked on, were left stranded.

“We had some chances, too. We left bases loaded in the first, two on in the second and then we had one at third in the third that we kind of run ourself out of the inning with,” said Hammack. “You don’t get too many chances against a tough, tough team like Garrard County and you have to take advantage of those chances – which we didn’t.”

Hammack tried to throw a little something different at Garrard defensively by starting Morgan Cooper in place of Alyssa Meece.

Garrard wasn’t swayed by the pitching change.

“I was hoping that our pitching switch might throw them off by giving them a different look than what they saw earlier,” Hammack said. “Unfortunately, that didn’t work out for us.”

Cooper, who, like Meece, is an eighth-grader, lasted less than an inning. She got Devin Conley to pop out to lead off the inning but six straight walks knocked her out of the game. Wild pitches helped each of the six Garrard runners, Jessica Speake, Miniard, Ramie Goldey, Jessica Morris, Haley Meadows and Madison DeBord to move on base, with Miniard, Goldey and Morris scoring on errant throws. Speake came home on a throwing error, Meadows scored on a Sidney Pozzuto sacrifice out and DeBord came in when Amanda Leopold singled off Meece.

Garrard tacked on three runs in each of its other three at-bats to put the game out of reach. Chris Ogden, who replaced Morris after she injured her wrist in the second inning, banged out a two-run home run for the Lady Lions in the fourth inning.

Lincoln did get back on the scoreboard, with runs scored in the top of the fifth inning. It looked like it would be a quick final at-bat after Mason popped out and Meece lined out but Mary Beth Hogue earned a base when she was hit by Miniard. Hogue moved to second on a wild pitch before Conley went deep over the centerfield fence to plate the final two runs of the game.

“We had a couple girls that did play good tonight and Kellie Conley was one of them,” said Hammack. “She came through with a couple big hits. One in the first that got a run in and the two-run homer there. Basically, she was responsible for the runs we did get.”

Conley was a help on offense, but there were also standouts in the outfield.

“In the outfield, my leftfielder played pretty good today, Sam Anderson. She’s coming back off a concussion. It’s been kind of a slow-go for her but she stepped up and made some big plays for us. She’s a real go-getter,” Hammack said.

“We’ve got a few go-getters on the team,” he added. “My senior, Ande Stamper, hustles. She wants to give you 110 percent but, today, we didn’t come through as a team when we needed to come through.”

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