Softball team in good position heading into final month

The LCHS varsity softball team picked up a win versus the Lady Panthers of Union County before suffering two straight losses at the hands of Oconee County and Locust Grove when they competed in non-region play last week.
The Lady Indians started the week by traveling to square off with the Union County Lady Panthers on Wednesday, Sept. 4.
Union County had beaten the Lady Indians 5-4 in the two teams’ first matchup early in the season. With the Lady Indians coming into the game riding a four-game winning streak, Lumpkin hoped to get the upper hand on the Lady Panthers this time around.
Lumpkin got exactly what it needed in order to accomplish that goal when LCHS starter Natalie Robinson and Lauren English combined for a shutout from the mound.
Robinson pitched four strong innings for Lumpkin. The senior kept the Lady Panthers’ lineup on its heels throughout her four innings of work, allowing just two hits while striking out four.
English relieved Robinson in the top of the fifth inning and finished the game strong. English allowed a bunt single to the first batter she faced before setting the next five Union County batters down. English then gave up a double before setting down the final four batters. English pitched two solid innings in relief, allowing two hits while striking out three.
The outstanding work inside the circle by Robinson and English allowed the two Lumpkin pitchers to earn a combined shutout.
The Lady Indians gave the two pitchers the run support they need to get the victory when they struck for two runs in the top of the fourth.
English, who started the game manning third base, began the inning with an infield single to the shortstop. Robinson reached first safely on an error to give the Lady Indians runners at first and third. Robinson then stole second to put two runners in scoring position for Lumpkin. After a fly out to right field off the bat of Natalie Shubert, Haley Voyles scored English with a sacrifice to first. With two outs and a runner at third, Emmie Graham unloaded on a pitch and ripped it down the right field line for a RBI single, putting the Lady Indians ahead 2-0.
English added a leadoff, solo home run in the top of the sixth to extend the lead to 3-0.
The superb pitching, timely hitting and solid base running by Lumpkin in the game allowed the Lady Indians to win by a final score of 3-0, upping their win streak to five straight.
That win streak would fall, however, when the Lady Indians traveled to Veterans Park on Friday, Sept. 6, for a non-conference tournament.
Lumpkin received strong production from its lineup but weren’t able to contain the offensive firepower of Oconee County in its first game of the day.
Oconee scored 13 runs in the contest to earn a 13-6 victory over the Lady Indians.
The Lady Indians’ luck wasn’t much better against Locust Grove, and Lumpkin lost a close 6-4 battle versus the Lady Wildcats.
Locust Grove came into the game ranked ninth in the state and 21st nationally in Class AAAAA.
The two losses dropped the Lady Indians’ overall record to 10-7.
Despite the two game skid to end the week, the Lady Indians have a firm grasp on second place in the Region 7-AAA standings with a 5-1 region record. Lumpkin sits behind East Hall, who is undefeated in conference play this season at 7-0, and ahead of Cherokee Bluff, who is 4-3 in region play this season.
At press time, the Lady Indians were set to take on White County in a non-region matchup on Monday, Sept. 9, before getting back to conference play against neighboring, region rival Dawson County on Tuesday, Sept. 10. No official results were available.
The Lady Indians will look to give the Lady Vikings their first region loss of the season when Lumpkin travels to East Hall tomorrow, Sept. 12, in a battle of Region 7-AAA’s top two teams. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.