Liechty, Mains Propel Warriors Past Trinity Christian, 14-13
There is always a chance something crazy can happen, and something rather ridiculous did occur for the Lady Warriors on Thursday night.
LaGrange Academy faced a 7-run deficit when the bottom of the seventh inning began in the girls softball game against Trinity Christian. The Lady Warriors went out in that final frame of the game, and they took it one at-bat at a time.
Something shocking did happen. LaGrange Academy scored eight runs in the inning, and the Lady Warriors stunned Trinity Christian, 14-13. LaGrange Academy put the pedal to the metal.
The Lady Warriors were wide awake as they erased a 13-7 deficit. LaGrange Academy turned defeat into victory. The Lady Warriors played this game to win, no matter the softball odds.
“You can’t give up. We still had hope,” said Lady Warriors sophomore left fielder Ashley Mains.
LaGrange Academy delivered one of the biggest comeback wins in school history, and the Lady Warriors did it with the consummate group effort. LaGrange Academy was ready to rally and did with a Molly Olinger RBI double to center field, an Amber Corley two-RBI double to left field and a run-scoring single from eighth grade short stop Laney Lackey.
The Lady Warriors got four hits and three RBI’s from Lackey in this unlikely LaGrange Academy win.The Lady Warriors also finished with some zip and two more base hits in the seventh inning with a Mains two-RBI double to right field to tie the game, 1313, and a Felicity Liechty run-scoring single to win the game one at-bat later.
LaGrange Academy’s last two hits came with two outs. Trinity Christian could not believe what the Lady Warriors did. La-Grange Academy did what few teams can do, which is come back from seven runs down in the final inning.
“We learned to pull through. We wanted this, and we were able to dominate,” said Liechty, the Lady Warriors junior first baseman.
LaGrange Academy completed the comeback with 11 hits in this softball game. That included a Lackey base hit and RBI in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Lady Warriors tied the game, 6-6.
In the fifth inning the LaGrange Academy bats were present and accounted for as well. The Lady Warriors came back from a 40 deficit and took a 5-4 lead behind an Amber Corley bases-loaded walk, a Lackey RBI single and a Mains RBI bunt single. LaGrange Academy nabbed a one-run lead on the Mains hit.
She had two hits and three RBI’s in the game. The Lady Warriors also took advantage of a Lady Lion error and a passed ball to score two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“Success breeds success. We came together, and we had the energy to play,” said LaGrange Academy head coach Charles Parker.
Trinity Christian (1-7) had some opportune softball moments, too, like Mattie McCracken’s inside- the-park home run in the fourth inning, as well as a Cheyenne Teems run scoring single to right field in the top of the sixth, and two Brianna Huff hits in the same inning in the top of the seventh.
The Lady Lions broke a 6-6 tie in the top of the seventh with seven runs on five hits. Trinity Christian thought it had the game won with a 13-6 lead, but that was before the Lady Warriors came back with eight runs in the bottom of the seventh.
“We’re young with six freshmen and five sophomores. You have to keep your head about you. La-Grange Academy put the bat on the ball,” said Trinity Christian head coach Jenny King.
The Lady Lions lost.LaGrange Academy rallied, and the Lady Warriors won their third consecutive game. The La-Grange Academy softball team improved to 3-1.
