One rough inning helped sour Habersham Central’s opening softball game of the year.
The Lady Raiders overcame an early deficit Thursday, before some fourth inning errors resulted in White County’s
8-4 win, the Warriors’ first win on the road against the Raiders since 2016.
With the score 2-1 and a runner on first, a sacrifice bunt by Annika Vandiver toward the first base side brought five-hole hitter Reagan Dunagan over to second in an inning where three runs came across and none of them earned in what became a four-run loss.
Following a wild pitch and a walk in an eight-pitch at-bat, a Gabby Whiddon single that scooted by an outfielder - the first of three errors in the half inning - drove the tying run, before two more miscues led to a 4-2 lead at that point.
White County pitcher Liana O’Kelly (9 hits, 3 ER,1 BB) threw 74 strikes, 33 balls, and only entered three three-ball counts in a seven inning complete game. One of those counts came on the at-bat that drove in Habersham Central’s early tying run.
With a 3-2 count, Bailey Barfield saw a rise ball over the middle of the plate to drive in leadoff batter Taylor Wade (3-for-4), who had recently stolen second base.
Prior to Thursday, White County had lost its last two to the Raiders, earning their first win over HCHS since the start of Bill Bradley’s tenure.
The teams meet again Monday night in Cleveland.
Habersham Central travels to North Hall for an 11 a.m. game Saturday (9 a.m. JV).