The Fannin County Middle School softball team hosted the Clear Creek Middle School’s Lady Bobcats. The home team Lady Rebels of Fannin fell 13-4.Neither team had much success in the first inning, as both teams failed to get a runner on first base.

Pitcher A. Barfield, walked the first two batters in the second inning. After a bunt by Beverly Warfield, the bases were loaded; however Gilmer’s Macy Dotson hit a double play ball that enabled the Lady Rebels to throw out Deyton at home. Barfield then forced Selena Kilborn to ground out to the pitcher, and escaped the inning unscathed. In the bottom of the second, only one batter reached first, M. Conrad; however, she was thrown out trying to steal second, effectively ending the Fannin second inning scoring threat.

A. Rhodes Takes a Cut
(Photo by Karen Deyton)

The Lady Bobcats’ opened the third inning with a stand up triple from Emily Cantrell. Mackenzie Chamber’s RBI single gave Gilmer a 1-0 lead. Chambers later scored to give the Lady Bobcats a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the third. Fannin was unable to muster a score because of two opening ground outs and a strike out.

Following a failed bunt attempt in the top of the fourth, Gilmer’s Bailey Wimpie drew a walk. Macy Dotson followed Wimpie’s walk with a single. Wimpie was thrown out in a run down. Dotson followed Wimpie’s run down with a stealing of second base, but was later caught in her own run down to bring up the bottom of the inning up.

In the bottom of the fourth, Fannin found its offense. K. Seagle led off with a walk and immediately stole second base. L. Walden was awarded first base due to an illegal pitch A. Rhodes’ RBI single to left field cut the lead to one. Fannin’s first out was recorded via infield fly rule. Following a walk, K. De Grie’s RBI tied the game at 2-2. A Fannin fly out closed the inning.

M. Conrad at the Plate
(Photo by Karen Deyton)

Following a scoreless top half of the fifth inning , Fannin took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI from Rhodes, the only run scored in the inning.

The Lady Bobcats bats came alive in the top of the sixth. Following a walk, Fannin made a pitching change. A Gilmer steal put a runner in scoring position, and Deyton’s RBI single tied the game at 3-3. Davis followed a steal by Deyton, with a double that put runners on second and third. Beverly Warfield’s RBI bunt made the score 4-3 in Gilmer’s favor. Following a Wimpie walk, Gilmer scored twice more via RBIs, to take a three run 6-3 lead. Fannin brought in a different pitcher, however the Lady Bobcats scratched out three more runs before Warfield’s fly out ended the inning’s offensive onslaught.

The Lady Rebels were retired in three straight batters to bring the sixth inning to a close. Wimpie walked again to lead off the seventh inning, then stole second. Following a walk and strike out, Emily Cantrell’s RBI double scored two more runs and the Gilmer lead stood at 11-3. Cantrell made the score 12-3 when she scored on a base clearing triple. Cantrell scored the Lady Bobcat’s last run.

Fannin found one more run in the bottom of the seventh, but was unable to stage a full fledged comeback and the Lady Rebels of Fannin fell 13-4.

Information provided by Shane Dale