The Lady Rebels stepped onto the field with a purpose on Wednesday October 10th, with a chance to advance to the sweet 16 of the state playoffs. Fannin flexed its muscle with a 2-0 sweep of the Lady Bulldogs of Decatur.In game one the Lady Rebels were the home team led by Jace Armstrong’s strong pitching performance and an offense that just wouldn’t quit. After the lady Dogs went down in order in the top of the first on just 13 pitches, the Lady Rebels came up to bat with intentions of putting the game away early.

Leading off the bottom of the first, Missy Dixon wasted no time. On the first pitch of the game, Dixon set a state record for triples in a season (14) with a line drive into the right-center gap; Dixon would score behind a single from Candace German.

After a steal of second, German would score behind the second triple of the inning for the Lady Rebels, by Karly Thompson, who later scored on a sac-fly by Amy Mintz. The Lady Rebels finished the inning with six hits, five runs, three stolen bases, and RBI’s by German, Thompson, Mintz, Armstrong, and Josie Millsaps.

The Lady Bulldogs got their first hit and run in the top of the second, via a leadoff infield single by the shortstop Chelsea Hall. Trying to make a play, Mallory Deal overthrew the ball to first base allowing Hall to advance to second on the error.

Following a steal of third base, Hall would score on a pass ball. Armstrong would strike out two of the next three batters to close out the top half of the inning. In the bottom half of the inning the Lady Rebels would score a run by way of a triple by German and a sac fly by Thompson, with nothing else doing in the inning.

The top of the third was pretty quiet for the Bulldogs as Armstrong continued her dominance striking out two after a leadoff walk. The Rebels would score their last run of the game in the bottom of the third after a leadoff single by Allie Barfield.

Barfield advanced to second on a throwing error by the second baseman, and stole third during Armstrong’s at-bat who grounded out to shortstop allowing Barfield to score the run.

Hall would score the second run for the Lady Bulldogs on a triple followed by a groundout to second by Transey in the top of the fourth.

The Lady Rebels finished with seven runs on 10 hits with two errors on big nights by Dixon(2-4, 2 3B(15),R) and German (2-4, 3B, RBI, R) and a strong pitching performance by Armstrong who pitched a complete game, striking out 13 batters, walking one, and allowing only two runs runs.

After the 7-2 Fannin win, the Lady Rebels only needed to take the second game of the double header to advance to the second round of the state tournament.

After a short break in the action the Lady Rebels were back to work against the Decatur Lady Bulldogs in game 2 of the double elimination first round of the AAA state playoffs. Having being the home team in game one, the Lady Rebels would act as the visiting team in game two and have first at-bat.

Dixon led off again, though without the flashiness of her record setting triple. She walked. She would steal second base, move to third and score on back to back pass balls.

Thompson would walk; steal second, and like Dixon move to third and score on consecutive pass balls. Barfield would walk and steal second and be left on base for the remainder of the top half of the first inning, leaving Fannin with a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the first inning, Lauren Hensley would take the mound knowing that a win would secure a spot in the next round of the playoffs. Hensley struck out the first two batters she faced, but the Lady Bulldogs didn’t go as quiet as they did in the first inning of the first game.

Hall reached on the first walk of the game from Hensley, when an infield hit advanced Hall to second. The third baseman, Drenner, stepped up to the plate and drove in Hall from second and pulled within one.

The first baseman, Marion Chuck, walked to load the bases. With the pressure on, and a 0-1 count, the right fielder Reed lined out to the shortstop to end the inning. Hensley escaped a jam only allowing only the one run.

In the top of the second the Lady Rebels went to work with the bats. With a one out double by Hensley the bats came to life. Hensley advanced to third base by way of a pass ball, and then scored on a pass ball.

Emily Morganson followed with a strike out, allowing Dixon to step to the plate. She walked for the second time, stole second and scored on a base hit by Candace German, tallying for her second RBI for the game in as many innings.

German would make her way around the bases and score on pass balls during Karly Thompson’s at-bat. Thompson would walk, and go first to third on a base hit by Mintz. Barfield would reach first on a dropped third strike allowing Thompson to score, crediting Barfield with an RBI and a stolen base.

The Bulldogs coach made a pitching change, bringing in the pitcher from the first game. She struck out Millsaps, ending the inning.

In the bottom of the inning, Hensley started off the inning in rough fashion hitting the first batter she faced, but settled down quickly after a pop out and a groundball both handled at first base. Hensley would surrender a single allowing Bryan, the leadoff hitter, to score but Richard would be thrown out at second trying to advance on the throw home.

In the top of the third the Rebels scored one more run after two quick outs. Morganson would reach second on a dropped fly ball by the left fielder, and score on Dixon’s base hit, the third consecutive at bat in which she had reached base. Dixon was called out for leaving the base early trying to steal second.

Hensley started the bottom half of the inning like she did the inning before hitting the first batter, who would reach second on an error by the third baseman. Following a double steal, Reed would hit a two run triple to left field. But that would be all the Lady Bulldogs would get, the next two batters would fly out and strike out to end the inning with a score of 7-4.

In the fourth the Lady Rebels went right back to work, scoring one run on a double by Thompson following a single by Blitzkrieg German. That would be all Fannin got as the Lady Bulldogs played good defense to stop the bleeding.

In the bottom of the inning the Lady Bulldogs would go overall quietly, only getting a single that would be left unnoticed as the batter advanced no further. The fifth inning would go as about as quickly and unshaved as the fourth with no runs being scored for either side.

The same could not be said about the sixth as the Rebels batted all the way around the order. With a one out double by Thompson the ladies set the table for the rest of the inning.

Thompson would score on an RBI single by Mintz on the first pitch she saw in the at bat. Barfield and Millsaps would follow in her shoes with a pair of singles with Mintz scoring on Millsaps’s.

Katy Brown would reach base on a walk putting runners at first and second with one out. Hensley came to bat, and following a pass ball that allowed Millsaps to score, crushed a line drive into center field.

Hensley scored Brown who had reached third on a stolen base. Morganson would add a single of her own, and Dixon would reach base for the fourth time in the game on a fielder’s choice that retired Hensley at third.

After a pass ball in which both Dixon and Morganson would advance a base, German would drive a single into right field knocking in two runs and bringing a close to the Rebels dominating top half. Thompson was the third out after grounding out to third base.

In the bottom of the sixth the Lady Bulldogs would scrap together two more runs on a RBI single with a third base error by the Lady Bulldog’s Lewis. The threat was cut short when Karly Thompson made a highlight reel play, in which she stabbed a line drive out of the air and doubled up the runner at second base who had reached via walk.

Hensley struck out Richard to end the inning and the game with the Rebels implementing the eight run lead after five innings mercy rule.

The Lady Rebels finished the game with 15 runs, 13 hits, and 2 errors. Hensley pitched a complete game allowing only 4 runs (2 earned), striking out 6, walking 3, and hitting 2.

There were big games at the plate from Dixon (1-2, 2 Walks, RBI, 2 runs scored) German (3-5, 3 RBI) and Thompson (2-3, 2BB, 2 2B). The Lady Rebels will play next Wednesday October 17th, at Jackson High School in the sweet 16 of the AAA State Playoffs.

Article Written By Greg Weaver