| Lady Lions oust G'field, Halls from playoffs |
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On the move — Greenfield's Brantley Wiley (right) breaks for third while DHS shortstop Lacie Kelley (left) charges the ball and Dresden pitcher Melissa Burkeen turns to watch the play as it happens. Dresden earned the 9-0 win to eliminate Greenfield.
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The Dresden Lady Lions have hit a hot streak at the perfect time — the postseason.
Coming off a strong showing against the tough Class AA Gibson County Lady Pioneers in their regular season finale, the Dresden softball team carried its momentum directly over into the District 14-A Softball Tournament with a pair of wins.
In a play-in game, the Dresden girls eliminated rival Greenfield with a 9-0 shutout on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Lady Lions made the long haul south to Halls and knocked off their long-time nemesis, 8-3.
The victory advances Dresden into the semifinals of the winners' bracket where they were to meet Union City on Monday afternoon at South Fulton.
With Halls' elimination from contention, South Fulton has taken over the role of host for the latter rounds of the 14-A tournament. Halls had originally been tabbed as the host site.
Against Greenfield, the visiting Lady Yellowjackets threatened but stranded Jessica Williams and Brantley Wiley on second and third base, respectively, in the top of the first inning.
Dresden made GHS pay in the home half of the first inning when Hannah Wade roped a one-out single and later scored.
The Lady Jackets put a pair of runners on again in the third, but Jasmine Allen and Williams were stranded.
The Lady Lions took control of the game in the bottom of the third with three runs. Jessica Parsley singled to start the uprising. Wade followed by reaching base. Both Lady Lions eventually crossed home plate. Bridgett Bone came up with a two-out single and three consecutive walks helped extend the inning and allowed Bone to score for a 4-0 DHS advantage before the third out was recorded.
Greenfield again put runners in scoring position with no runs to show for it in the fourth.
Dresden plated its fifth run when Parsley rounded the bases to open the Lady Lion at-bat in the fourth.
The Lady Lions erupted for their final four runs in the sixth with Wade, Marlee Mason, Erica Glisson and Catherine VanDyke all touching home plate for a 9-0 cushion.
Greenfield refused to fold without a fight. Down to their final out in the Lady Yellowjackets' final at-bat of the 2008 season, Wiley extended the season a little longer, reaching thanks to a Dresden error. Wiley never reached the plate as the Lady Lions got the out at first to end the game and the GHS season.
Against Halls, the Lady Lions broke open a scoreless deadlock with five runs in the third inning. Kaci Robbins got things started with a leadoff single. Robbins, Parsley, Wade, Lacie Kelley and Mason all reached and scored.
Mason also singled and scored in the fifth. Parsley walked and scored in the sixth, and Erica Glisson singled and extended the lead in the seventh for an 8-0 Dresden edge.
Halls gave the Lady Lions a scare, plating three runs in the home half of the seventh before Dresden recorded the final out. |
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