The Fannin County High School Lady Rebels softball season kicked off with a tournament at Lanier Point Park. The Lady Rebels played four teams going 2-2 over the two day tournament. The wins came over Flowery Branch and Dawson County, (3-1) and (3-2) respectively.The season’s first game was a closely contested 3-2 loss to the Lady Rebels’ northern neighbors, Union. Union drew first Fannin blood with a run in the bottom of the first. However, the top of the second saw Bailey Jones’ RBI single score Katie Brown and tie the game.

The Lady Rebels took the lead in the top of the third when lead-off batter Josie Millsaps came home on a bases loaded passed ball.

Starting pitcher Jace Armstrong and the defense held the lead, until the bottom of the seventh inning. After two singles and an error, the Union Lady Panthers pounced with a game winning RBI single.

Armstrong finished the game with 6 1/3 innings pitched four strike outs and 14 first pitch strikes.

Day two saw the Lady Rebels rise early with a rousing 3-1 victory over Flowery Branch. Fannin struck first with two runs in the bottom of the first for a 2-0 lead.

Another Lady Rebels run in the bottom of the fourth forced Flowery Branch further into a thorny 3-0 hole. A run in the top of the fifth erased the shut out.

Armstrong pitched all seven innings, with nine strike outs, and 17 first pitch strikes. Allie Barfield led the Lady Rebels in hits and RBI with two and one respectively versus Flowery Branch.

The Lady Rebels went back to back, pinning the tails of the Lady Tigers of Dawson County with a 3-2 Lady Rebels win.

After each team scored in the first inning, Dawson took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Fannin found two Lady Rebels runs in the top of the sixth that secured the 3-2 victory.

Barfield pitched 5 1/3 innings with Armstrong pitching the last 1 2/3 innings.

Fannin fell short in the fourth and final game at Lanier Point Park, as Commerce came away with a 4-3 win, despite the Lady Rebels producing four more hits offensively.

Commerce put money in the bank early, scoring two runs each in both the second and fourth innings, leaving the Lady Rebels looking at a 4-0 deficit.

Fannin found its offense in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs; but was ultimately thwarted in the comeback bid.

The Lady Rebels will next face Union, at Union, Monday August, 12, 2013.