Christian Heritage drops opener in extra innings

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, October 29, 2015

COLUMBUS — Christian Heritage School’s softball team didn’t waste any time jumping out to a lead in its first Georgia High School Association Elite Eight appearance in school history. The Lady Lions scored three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead over Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy, but the bats went cold and Christian Heritage fell 4-3 in eight innings.

The loss puts the Lady Lions in the loser’s bracket where they will face Stratford Academy today at 9 a.m.

“Our girls played really well,” Christian Heritage coach Mike Leonard said. “We had a defensive miscue that tied the game and we just couldn’t get that one hit we needed.”

Eagle’s Landing Christian (22-9) scored one run in the top of the first with a pair of doubles. Brooke Echols roped the first one and then scored on a double by Chanel Newcomer. Christian Heritage starting pitcher Erin Leonard struck out the next batter to end the threat. After surrendering the two hits, Leonard retired the next 10 batters she faced.

“We haven’t seen this team play before and we weren’t able to get much information about them,” coach Leonard said. “So we threw those two girls each a change-up not knowing they were change-up hitters and they hit them good. If we had known that then maybe we don’t give up that run.”

Christian Heritage (27-5) responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Ashlyn Clements led off the inning with a walk, then Julia McDonald reached on an infield single. A throwing error by the second baseman allowed the runners to advance to second and third. Halle Poteet grounded out to third, but Clements induced the fielder to throw home and was able to get back to third base safely before the catcher’s throw got back there. With the bases loaded and one out, Hannah Heath stroked a single between first and second to score two runs. Poteet scored one batter later when Adain Coulter hit a line drive into left field.

After the third run scored, the Chargers made a pitching change and brought in Newcomer. The Lady Lions had no hits and just three base runners the rest of the game.

“(Newcomer) reminded me a lot of Erin,” coach Leonard said. “She did a really good job placing her curve and doesn’t throw that hard. But she had a drop pitch that she used to get us to chase some pitches in the dirt.”

The score held at 3-1 until the fifth inning. Lexi Young led off the frame for the Chargers with an infield single and then stole second base, followed by a Chris Wright single to left that put runners on the corners. The next batter tried to execute a squeeze bunt, but popped up and the ball went over the first baseman, allowing a run to score.

A good defensive play by Poteet saved the Lady Lions from further damage as she snagged a line drive and doubled off the runner at first.

Eagle’s Landing Christian tied the game in the sixth inning. A slow grounder to third led off the inning, but the throw to first sailed high and the runner advanced to second. With two outs and runners on first and second, Parker Pinholster was able to reach a high rise ball and stroked it into left field for an RBI single to tie the game. Leonard was able to prevent further damage by inducing a pop-up back to the mound.

With the Lady Lions unable to get anything going offensively, the game went into extra innings. The international tiebreaker rule (ITB) went into effect where the last runner out in the previous inning goes to second base to start the inning. Eagle’s Landing Christian was able to sacrifice the runner over to third and Echols brought her in to score with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Christian Heritage was also able to sacrifice its runner from second over to third, but a strikeout and a ground out to third ended the game.

“In the sixth inning we had that error and somehow that girl was able to tomahawk a rise ball,” coach Leonard said. “It was an ugly hit but it got the job done. And then we just weren’t able to get the runner in to score in ITB. We played really well against a very good team and we just have to shake this off and get ready to play tomorrow.”

Erin Leonard allowed just four hits and struck out seven over eight innings. Clements and McDonald each reached base twice and scored a run, while Heath was 1-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs.