It’s time to make hotel reservations and pack the bags. Madison County is going to the big dance.
The Red Raider softball team swept Kell 8-5 and 10-2 in frigid conditions Thursday evening, advancing to the eight-team Class AAAA state finals in Columbus next week.
While the weather was cold, the Red Raider bats weren’t Thursday. Madison County jumped out to 5-0 leads in both games. The Red Raiders opened up game one with Ivie Drake driving in a run with a single in the first. The team added four more in the second, with Drake and Olivia Duncan both ripping two-run doubles.
Madison County tacked on one in the third on an RBI single by Kaylee Bates and two in the fourth on a two-run homer by pitcher Randee Bettis, who picked up the win.
The Madison County varsity softball team is pictured Thursday night after sweeping the Kell Longhorns 8-5, 10-2 to advance to the eight-team state finals tournament in Columbus next week.
GAME STORY, PHOTO GALLERY: Red Raiders sweep Kell, advance to elite-8 tourney in Columbus
Kell scored two runs in the third and fourth innings and one in the sixth.
In the second game, Madison County jumped on board with two in the top of the first. Drake scored from third when Duncan got caught in a rundown and Duncan scored on an error by the Kell shortstop.
The Red Raiders added three in the second inning on an inside-the-park home run by the speedy senior centerfielder Sam LaZear, who drove home another run in the third inning to make the score 6-2.
Jessica Allen ripped an RBI single in the fourth. In the fifth, Duncan drove in a run and Bettis smacked a two-run single to put Madison County up 10-2.
Gabby Gillespie picked up the win, retiring the side in the fifth, with shortstop Bri Carr making solid stops on grounders to close out the game.
The win was Madison County’s fourth straight. The Red Raiders bounced back from a 7-1 loss to Loganville in the Region 8-AAAA finals by sweeping Johns Creek 9-0, 8-0 in the first round of the state tournament, then sweeping Kell Thursday.
LaZear said the loss in the region finals was a real motivator for the team.
“We don’t like losing to them,” said LaZear about the loss to Loganville. “That kind of lit a fire under us.”
LaZear and fellow Duncan, the lone seniors on the 2011 squad, said this year’s team has plenty of chemistry. LaZear says the squad enjoys each others’ company, often cracking each other up.
Now the team will get to go back to Columbus in search of the Class AAAA state championship trophy.
Duncan said the trip to Columbus is truly special.
“There’s no feeling like it,” she said.
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