ABAC gets hard earned split against Lady Chargers

TIFTON- The Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Fillies team has been on a roll with consistent pitching from their freshman duo of Kameron Coggins and Lizzie Massingill, and steady at the plate with offensive efforts coming from Olivia Carter, Sydney Vaughn, Taylor Corbett, and Savannah Gabriel. It started slow for the team in the early going of the year, but has caught fire as of late winning their ninth ball game in eleven tries. On this past Stallion Saturday, ABAC earned a hard earned split with Georgia Highlands by the score of 7-4 in game one, before being on the opposite end of a 9-4 decision.

A couple of singles in the top half of the inning off of Coggins to start the contest is what allowed the visitors to jump on the board first and plate the first run. A strikeout by Coggins ended the inning with a runner at second base.

Haley Dobson tallied the first base hit to start off the game for the ABAC team, and Carter added a second on a fly ball to right field, but the final out was recorded a batter later and the effort came up empty for the hosts.

Coggins again allowed two hits in the following inning, but each time she came back to help herself out with a strikeout for two out of the three outs as Georgia Highlands still lead by one run entering the bottom of the second.

Trailing by just a run, Gabriel collected her first base hit of the game, a second pitch smash to left field, and the ABAC Fillies had an early runner in scoring position. Kali Price gave herself up on a sac bunt play to move Gabriel one base closer to third. Bailey Leger was the next batter at the plate hitting the second pitch of her at bat on a sac fly to center field, scoring Gabriel from third and tying the game at one.

The Lady Chargers were held scoreless in the top half of third inning, but the home team had other thoughts as the four runs crossed in the frame.

In the third Vaughn tripled off of Rebecca Meade, driving in two runs, scoring Dobson and Carter after they both reach base on walks.

Two runs came on costly miscues by the guests when Leger and Skylar Dorough placed two groundballs on the infield that took one too many bobbles out of the glove as they both reached safely. Vaughn and Gabriel would march across home plate to give ABAC a 4-1 lead entering the fourth.

After a scoreless fourth, both teams would each score two runs. Georgia Highlands would score two runs in the top of the fifth, while the Fillies would plate two of their own in the bottom of the sixth.

Georgia Highlands would add their final run of the game in the top of the seventh.

With one out in the sixth inning, Victoria Jordan was looking for her first hit of the contest when she connected on a 3-1 pitch for a single. Dobson would earn another base on balls in her plate appearance to put runners at first and second. Corbett did not leave them standing on the bases long as she doubled on a line drive, plating both base runners.

Coggins earned the win for the ladies in the circle behind a six strikeout performance. She pitched seven innings, giving up four runs on ten hits for her twelfth win on the year for the team.

Vaughn and Corbett each drove in two runs to lead the Fillies in game one, while the team collected seven hits in the game. 

In game two, ABAC fell behind early and couldn't come back in a 9-4 loss to GA Highlands. 

Georgia Highlands scored on a single by Shayla Smith in the first inning, a groundout by Shay Wooten in the first inning, a single by Mackenzy McFarland in the first inning, and a double by Smith in the second inning. 

The Lady Chargers captured the lead in the first on a Smith base hit in the first inning, as they went on to put up a three spot on the board. 

For the hosts they finally came back to score three runs of their own in the fourth inning. The big inning was driven by a double by Jordan, and a double by Trenity Coleman. 

GA Highlands scored four runs in the fifth inning, and never looked back.  Georgia Highlands came up with the big inning on a triple by Andria Booth, a walk by Wooten, and a base hit by Hannah Willis. 

MiCayla McCoy earned the win for the visitors. She tossed seven innings, surrendering four runs, nine hits, and struck out one. 

Dobson went 2-for-4 at the plate in the final game to lead the ABAC team in hits column. 

ABAC took a 12-6 conference mark into Tuesday afternoon's conference bout with Georgia Military College at Fillies Field. Two important series for the Fillies team as they sit a tie with East Georgia in third place. But of the next three series, ABAC will face two of the top teams Georgia Military, and Georgia Highlands again on the road. ABAC will return to action Saturday afternoon on the road, before returning home Wednesday for Sophomore Day.

By: J. Roy Rowland IV, Sports Correspondent