SOFTBALL: East Laurens eliminated from GHSA tournament after early games against Bremen, Social Circle

East Laurens made a competitive showing in its first-ever appearance at the GHSA state tournament, but would be eliminated after losses in both its first two games, Wednesday to Bremen and Thursday to Social Circle. 

The Falcons drew first blood in their opener, but a big first-inning answer built the Blue Devils a nice early lead, and some key outs to prevent East Laurens from climbing back helped them pull away to the 7-3 victory  on Wednesday.

Despite an early trade of runs, the Falcons ended up back in a game of catch-up after a three-run swing on back-to-back Social Circle home runs in the third that broke a 1-run tie and provided the ultimate difference in a 4-2 final. 

A season for the record books concludes for East with a record of 24-9 (17-1 region 2-High A), after a second-straight region crown and a first-ever berth in Columbus as one of the last eight alive in the GHSA bracket. 

Deanna Lowther bunted into a fielder’s choice to squeeze home the first run for the Falcons in Wednesday’s tournament debut, as Bremen gave up a run in exchange for a needed out in a trade that would pay off quickly. 

The Blue Devils struck back with three runs in their half of the opening inning, a first scored by Ava Coggins, who tagged from third to score on an error as an East Laurens throw toward the plate in an attempt to hold her there went awry after an infield pop-up.  

Halli Ballender and Ansley Agan found gaps for RBI singles to make the lead 3-0. 

Coggins added one to the Bremen lead with an RBI in the second, and Aubry Shumake’s sac fly a fifth in the third. 

East Laurens couldn’t get much more going against Bremen pitcher Anna Belle Langley, who provided the dagger in the fourth inning with a two-RBI double to the opposite fence to break the game open, 7-1. 

East Laurens loaded the bases to threaten, and force a Bremen pitching change to Emalee Morris in the top of the fifth, but couldn’t cash in. The inning ended with no scoring after a confusing call involving a tipped ball by Deanna Lowther that was ruled a third out. 

East Laurens chipped away a couple in the sixth on consecutive Bremen throwing errors, but couldn’t make a larger dent in the deficit. Two more were in scoring position in the seventh, but Morris struck out Brynne Moody swinging for the final out. 

Madison Coleman and Abigail Holt had early hits to pave the way for a first run, this time on the RBI double of Reagan Sasser, and even things at 1 apiece in the first inning Thursday against Social. 

The Redskins’ key rally came in the bottom of three, when Addison Stracner ran out an infield single to reach ahead of back-to-back home runs from Emily Turner and Savannah Frachiseur. 

East would be able to get only one of those outs back in the top of the sixth, when a great shot to flip the scoreboard presented with the bases loaded, but Turner allowed only one of the three to score, getting her first out on an infield fly before Holt drove in the run on a groundout. 

A strikeout in the next at-bat ended the inning, and a popout, strikeout and groundout retired the Falcon side in the seventh.