TRENTON, Ga. — Dade County freshman shortstop Norah Massey provided a surge of energy as her incredible leaping grab deep in the hole closed Monday’s nightcap with a 13-8 win over Metter to force a decisive Game 3 in the GHSA Class AA second round softball playoff series.
The Lady Wolverines evened the score in dramatic fashion as freshman Alli Stevens delivered a game-tying two-run double to deep right center with her team down to its final two outs of the season.
Stevens’ extra-base hit ignited a seven-run final frame as eighth-seeded Dade County (25-5) fought back from a tough 7-3 defeat in Game 1 in which No. 9 Metter (23-6) received a tiebreaking grand slam from Zailee Thurman to go with a strong effort from winning pitcher Judson Vining, who homered twice and struck out 10 while allowing just one earned run.
(TENNESSEE VALLEY SHOWDOWN: Help your school win $50,000! Already subscribe? Cast your vote. Not a subscriber? Subscribe here.)
Vining, who had fanned 34 batters over her first 19 1/3 postseason innings, was figured out in Game 2 as the Lady Wolverines tagged her for 10 hits before adding more insurance runs by forcing mistakes in the field by the Lady Tigers.