09/01/2026
SOFTBALL: GL takes second of two against LaFayette
* By Scott Herpst
A little less than three weeks ago, the Gordon Lee Lady Trojans traveled to LaFayette, smarting from a loss to Sonoraville, and responded with an 8-0 win over the Lady Ramblers.
Monday evening, this time in Chickamauga and with a region loss at Dade County in their last outing still fresh in their minds, Gordon Lee once again rebounded with an 8-0 victory over LaFayette to sweep the non-region, two-game series from their Walker County rivals.
Gordon Lee led 1-0 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, though both teams had chances to score more.
Paityn Weldon was left on base after one-out double in the top of the first, but the Lady Ramblers escaped trouble by turning a double play in the bottom of the first. Then in the second, LaFayette got a single and a walk with two outs, but did not score.
Gordon Lee finally scratched out a run in the bottom of the inning. Kyleigh Custer singled and stole second before Maddie Ta brought her in with a two-out, run-scoring single.
LaFayette got a single in the top of the third, but it was erased by a double play. Then in the bottom of the inning, Gordon Lee got a pair of two-out singles, but both runners were left in scoring position.
However, that would change in the bottom of the fourth. Kynleigh Custer singled and Maddie Harvey dropped down a sacrifice bunt. She reached base on an error before Ta's bunt-single loaded the bases. Marley Stone and Riley Mull later drew walks with the sacks full to add to the lead.
Laney Wilson came through with an RBI-single to make it 4-0 and Grace Shafer had a sacrifice fly to bring in the Lady Trojans' fifth run of the game. Mull scored on a wild pitch later in the inning and, after Wilson stole third, a passed ball allowed her to score to make it 7-0.
The final run for the Navy-and-White came in the bottom of the fifth to end it. Harvey walked and pinch runner Hynleigh Harding swiped second before scoring on a two-out single by Stone.
Wilson and Ta each had two hits and Mull picked up a double. Izzy Bailey pitched five innings and allowed just five hits and two walks with one strikeout.
Weldon and Brooklyn Myers both went 2-for-2 for LaFayette, while Emory Beck added a single. Weldon pitched four innings and gave up eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Madison Stout allowed a hit and a walk with one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning of relief.
Gordon Lee (9-2) will get back to Region 7-AA action on Thursday with a game in Dalton against Christian Heritage. Meanwhile, LaFayette (2-10) will get right back to action on Tuesday as they host Murray County in a Region 7-AAA contest.
Scott Herpst is sports editor for the Walker County Messenger in LaFayette, Ga., and Catoosa County News in Ringgold, Ga.
