Swamp Fox softball sweeps ABAC

April 7, 2011

The song, “Here Comes The Boom,” which was made famous by recording artist Nelly, is Samantha Howard’s introduction before each plate appearance during a Swamp Fox home softball game.

In appropriate fashion, Howard exploded for two clutch hits April 6 to propel Waycross College to an important conference sweep of the ABAC Golden Fillies. The Swamp Foxes (15-16, 7-3 GCAA) edged ABAC, 5-4 and 8-7 in eight innings.

“I’m really proud of the team,” said head coach Bryan Hartley. “We found ourselves down late in both games. Both times we showed a lot of heart, desire, and ability to fight back.”

Trailing 4-2 in game one with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Alex Wood singled and Katelyn Baxley reached on a fielder’s choice. Howard’s triple drove in Wood and Baxley to tie the game, 4-4.

Aimee Johnson’s sharp hit to third base resulted in an infield single, which scored Howard to give WC the win.

“Aimee hit that ball so hard that I think it stunned their (ABAC’s) third baseman long enough to give Aimee time to beat out the throw,” said Hartley.

The second game was a back-and-forth affair. After the Golden Fillies scored on an RBI double in the top of the first, Summer Rose reached on an error in the bottom of the inning before being thrown out trying to reach second base. Before Rose’s out, Wood and Baxley scored to give WC the lead, 2-1.

ABAC took the lead again in the top of the third following an RBI single and a run that scored on a wild pitch.

An RBI single by Deborah Caccavale and a sacrifice fly by Kayla Calhoun in the bottom of the fourth gave the Swamp Foxes the lead, 4-3.

WC extended its lead in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single by Rose and clutch base running by Johnson.

“Samantha (Howard) scored on Summer’s hit. As the ball was being thrown back in, it hit off of the second baseman’s glove and started rolling towards first. Aimee (Johnson) was on third at the time, and they (ABAC) didn’t show any urgency to pick up the ball. So I told Aimee to go for home. When you tell Aimee to go, she goes,” said Hartley.

Not to be outdone, the Golden Fillies fought back in the top of the seventh inning with an RBI single of their own. Shelby Reed followed with a three-run home run to give ABAC the lead again, 7-6.

Faced once more with two outs and possibly their last at-bat in the bottom of the seventh, the Swamp Foxes tied the game on an RBI single by Calhoun. With the winning run in scoring position, Mandy McClendon’s ground out ended the threat and sent the game into an extra inning, tiebreaker situation.

According to NJCAA rules, each team places its “last out” from the previous inning on second base to begin the extra inning. ABAC quickly loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth following a Swamp Fox error and a walk. Calhoun and McClendon both ended the Golden Fillies’ threat with force outs at home.

WC’s half of the eighth inning began with McClendon on second. After Wood flied out and Baxley struck out, Howard’s triple scored McClendon to complete the doubleheader sweep.

The Swamp Foxes travel to Gordon College and Middle Georgia College for important conference doubleheaders before returning home April 15 to face conference foe Andrew College. The first game of the Andrew College doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. All home games are played at the Trembling Earth Complex in Waycross.

According to the GCAA, the Swamp Foxes were tied with ABAC for third place in the conference standings going into the April 6 doubleheader. The top six teams advance to the conference tournament to be played April 29-30 at a location to be determined.

Waycross College has been a proud member of the University System of Georgia since the College’s founding in 1976.

Aimee Johnson scores in the bottom of the fifth inning of game two to extend Waycross College’s lead over the ABAC Golden Fillies, 6-3. The Swamp Foxes eventually won the second game in eight innings to complete the doubleheader sweep.