Lady Panthers softball take two in a row at North Fall Classic
By TODD FORREST Sentinel Writer

Sentinel photos/Todd Forrest Above: Kayla Gowder connects for a two-run homerun against Fannin County on Tuesday, Sept. 18. Below: April Harper winds and delivers a pitch.

The Lady Panthers (11-5) softball team took game one of the North Fall Classic at North Georgia College in Dahlonega with a 16-2 thrashing of Flowery Branch. Kaley Sullivan drove in six runs and Brittany Massey- Lentz scored four times. Brooklyn Swartz picked up her third win of the season, allowing two runs in five innings of work.

Union County's offense wasted little time getting Swartz some run support as Massey-Lentz, Kayla Gowder, and Amanda Mason all scored in the first inning, with April Harper doing most of the damage with a two run, two out single. Union gave Swartz two more runs to work with when Massey- Lentz and Gowder each tripled and scored during the third inning.

The Lady Panthers broke the game wide open in with an eleven run fourth inning. Tori Dyer started it off with a single and a stolen base. Kaitlyn Seabolt singled, and Massey-Lentz drew a walk to load the bases. The bases were quickly cleared when Sullivan stepped up to the plate and delivered a three RBI double. Kayla Gowder knocked in Sullivan and stole a base. Harper drove in Gowder with a base hit, then went on to score. Ashley Beltnick, Dyer, Swartz, and Massey-Lentz all went on to score in the inning as the Lady Panthers sent fifteen batters to the plate in the fourth inning alone.

Odom silences Viking bats in Game 2 of NFC

Billie Odom shut down the East Hall offense and picked up her second win of the year. Kaley Sullivan continued to swing a hot bat as she was just a double shy of hitting for the cycle - leading the Lady Panthers (12-5) to an 8-1 victory over the East Hall Vikings.

Union County struck early again when K. Seabolt led off the game with a single and driven in by a two out triple by Gowder. Gowder went on to score on a passed ball. The Lady Panthers then put a four spot up on the board during the third inning. Sullivan and Gowder each singled, which was followed up by an RBI single from Harper. Whitney Kelley drove in two runs with a double. Odom helped herself out by knocking in Kelley.

Sentinel photo/Todd Forrest Coach Stewart (right) instructs her players between innings.

Sullivan led off the fourth inning with her first homerun of the season. She then led off the sixth inning with a triple and scored her third run of the game when Harper drove in her second run of the game.

Coach Stewart was impressed with her team's all around play, especially the pitching of Swartz and Odom. "Brooklyn (Swartz) and Billie (Odom) pitched well. They are not strikeout pitchers but we played some very solid defense behind them," Stewart said.

The next game of the NFC will take place on Saturday at 8 a.m. at North Georgia College. The Lady Panthers will be playing the defending AAAA State Champ - Sequoyah High.

Gowder homerun lifts Lady Panthers over Fannin

The Union County Lady Panthers (13-5) continued wearing out opposing pitching in a 15-0 rout over Fannin County. Kayla Gowder went yard to dead centerfield for the Lady Panthers, with a two-run homerun in the third inning, which landed in the back of someone's truck in the outfield parking lot. "That was probably the hardest hit ball that I've seen all year," said Coach Stewart after the game. April Harper pitched four innings of no-hit baseball on the way to her ninth victory this season. Harper also struck out eight of the thirteen batters she faced and picked up her seventh shutout of the year.

Union County opened the game with four singles in the first inning which led to an early 3-0 Lady Panther lead. Massey-Lentz, Gowder, and Harper provided the Union County runs. During the second inning of play, the first six Lady Panthers reached base with K. Seabolt, Sullivan, and Gowder all driving in runs. When the dust settled Union County found themselves with an 8-0 advantage after two innings.

Union added five more runs in the third inning with the big blow being Gowder's two run blast. However, it was a leadoff walk by Courtney Watts that provided the spark that led to the offensive outburst. After Watts reached, Courtney Seabolt singled, K. Seabolt walked, Massey-Lentz drove in a run with a double, Sullivan brought in two more with a double, then Gowder cleared the bases.

After C. Seabolt drove in Beltnick and Massey-Lentz brought home Watts on a sacrafice fly, the game was called due to the mercy rule. Gowder and Sullivan each drove in three runs and Massey-Lentz scored three times to lead Union County offensively.

Coach Stewart believes that her team is starting to come together. "I think our confidence level is up. We've had around forty hits in the last three games." It couldn't come at a better time for the Lady Panthers with the East Jackson rematch this Thursday. If the Lady Panthers beat East Jackson by two or more runs, they are in sole possession of first place in the sub-region. Coach Stewart likes her chances against East Jackson. "We outhit them last time we played. As a team we are hitting the ball much better then we were when we played them down there."

The Lady Panthers will host East Jackson on Thursday in the biggest game of the year so far. The JV game begins at 4:30 with the Varsity following them at 6:00. All Lady Panther softball games are played on the Paris Field at Meeks Park.