CHAPMAN – The Lady Griffins began the Class 3A state softball playoffs with a tough 15-3 loss to Palmetto, which set them up with Saturday’s road elimination game against the Chapman Panthers. Fairfield took an early lead, but Chapman controlled the rest of the game and sent the Griffins packing with a decisive 12-1 beating.
Fairfield’s China Woodard scored the game’s first run in the top of third after an error by the Chapman catcher, but the Panthers took control in the bottom of the frame. Brooke Scruggs scored the first of Chapman’s six third inning runs on a Griffin error.
Raegan Metcalf singled home two more runs on hard hit fly ball to left field. Later in the inning, a costly error in left field allowed Metcalf, Shelby Owens and Shelby Deal to score. An infield fly to third base finally ended the monstrous inning, but the fourth inning was not any nicer to the Griffins.
The Griffins walked five of Chapman’s first six batters of the fourth inning. Both Marli Hank and Owens scored on walks. A grounder’s choice was good enough to score another from third. A Brook Scruggs doubled plated another.
The Panthers scored their final run of the game on a Griffins’ passed ball. Fairfield bats were seated in order in top of the fifth.
FCHS:0-0-1-0-0- 1
CHS:0-0-6-6-X- 12
Pitching: FCHS – Asia Williams (L), 4IP, 12R, 7ER, 8BB. CHS – Sierra Vinson (W), 4IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, 4K, 1BB. Abby Gossett, 1IP, 0R, 0ER, 1K.
Hitting: 1B -Tameshia Woodard, LaQuaja Chappell (FCHS). Brooke Scruggs, Sierra Vinson, Marli Hanks, Raegan Metcalf, Shelby Owens, (CHS).2B – China Woodard (FCHS). Shelby Owens (CHS).