CALHOUN, Ga. - Maddie Green wasn't quite sure what to do. The slightly-built Calhoun High School junior isn't normally a power hitter, so after belting not one, but two, home runs in the second game of Wednesday's Class AAA softball first-round playoff series, Green was buzzing around like, well, like a Yellow Jacket.
"I never have hit two home runs in a game before," said Green after the second-ranked Yellow Jackets eliminated Callaway, 9-1 and 8-0, in rather workmanlike fashion. "It felt great, and I was so hyped to come out here and play against them. I was running circles around my teammates after the game and they didn't understand it, but I just love to win."
Calhoun will host the winner of the Banks County/Oconee County series next Wednesday in the start of a second-round best-of-three series, with the winner advancing to the Elite Eight in Columbus.
The games Wednesday were fairly similar. Calhoun (28-7), blessed with two elite pitchers, held the visitors to five total hits, including just one in a five-inning first game. Kinsey Liscio struck out 12 and did not allow a hit after Brittany Mitchell's first-inning solo homer. Emily Mitchell's homer gave the Lady Jackets a lead in the second inning and they never looked back.
In game two, number-nine hitter Green broke a scoreless tie with a solo homer in the third, then added another one leading off the third for a 3-0 lead. Jana Johns plated another run with a sacrifice fly and Calhoun ended the game with four runs in the seventh on just three hits as two Callaway pitchers walked three and hit a batter.
Mitchell earned the win with six innings of four-hit pitching and Emily Weatherman matched Green with three hits after getting two in the first game. Ryan Brzozski had four hits and three runs scored in the two games, with Chloe Rice adding three hits, an RBI and two runs scored.
"They hit it well today, and we had some girls step up that hadn't been hitting the ball lately," Calhoun coach Diane Smith said. "Maddie Green had an outstanding day. Our pitchers did their jobs, and we stayed with the game plan of pitching both of them. They were excited, but they know there's still a lot of work to do. All I know is it's one step closer to Columbus."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.