Lady Bulldogs Sweep Manchester

The Wheeler County High School Lady Bulldogs softball team came out swinging last week, demonstrating absolute dominance in the first round of the GHSA Class A Division 2 State Playoffs. The Lady Bulldogs decisively swept the Manchester Lady Blue Devils in a best-of-three series, needing only 2 games to secure their spot in the next round.

Game 1

Game One was a pitching and offensive clinic as the Lady Dawgs easily dispatched Manchester with a commanding 12-0 victory.

The offense took control in the bottom of the first inning, putting up 5 runs. Kaleigh Scott singled in the first run, followed by an Ava Dixon double. Shelley Conner added a sacrifice fly, and Gabby Angel capped the rally with a 2-run single.

Kaleigh Scott continued to produce at the plate, ripping a double down the left field line in the second inning to help extend the lead to 7-0. Angel wasn't done, adding a sacrifice fly in the third inning to make it 8-0. Wheeler County closed the game out with 4 runs in the fourth inning top win, 12-0.

The real story, however, was on the mound. Pitcher Katelyn Conner was flawless, earning the win by tossing a solid no-hitter over 4 innings. Conner struck out 9 batters and did not issue a single walk, completely shutting down the Lady Blue Devils' offense.

Game 2

If Game 1 was dominant, Game 2 was an absolute explosion of offense, as the Lady Bulldogs routed Manchester 22-1 to complete the sweep.

The Lady Dawgs scored a remarkable 12 runs in the first inning alone. Leading the charge was Ava Dixon, who had a monster day, driving in 4 runs on 3 hits. Dixon set the tone early with a 3-run home run to left field and followed that up with a runscoring double in the same massive first inning.

The hits kept coming from across the lineup, with Rozilynn Cox singling for 2 RBIs, Shiann Carey laying down a sacrifice bunt for a run, and Jadirra Randolph tripling for an RBI. The offensive output continued in the second inning with 8 more runs, highlighted by a 2-run double from Shelley Conner and RBI hits from Anna Ethredge, Shiann Carey (tripling again), and Randolph. Raeann Smith and Khloe Davis added RBI doubles in the third to close out the 22-1 win.

Ava Dixon also earned the win in the circle for Game 2, allowing no hits and no earned runs over 3 innings while striking out 6 batters.