Defense saves the day for Lady Jackets

There’s an old saying among the football coaching ranks that offense wins games, but defense wins championships. Well, pretty obviously that old adage can apply to any sport, including softball.

Monday afternoon in Vidalia, Jeff Davis High softball pulled off a defensive gem that didn’t win a championship but it probably won the game for the Yellow Jackets.

With the Lady Jackets clinging to a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 9th inning, the Lady Indians had the tying run on first with no one out. And the next batter laid down what was intended to be a sacrifice bunt to push the runner into scoring position. But the JD defense had other ideas.

Jaci Underwood rushed in from third, scooped up the ball and fired a bullet to shortstop Jenna Miles at second, and Miles threw another bullet to Ava Bohannon at first to nip the runner by a half step. The double play was one for a highlight reel.

After pitcher Carrie Ellen Arnold got the next batter to ground out to Underwood at third, the victory was sealed.

In the top of the 9th inning, Cori Mims hit a scorcher that Vidalia’s second baseman couldn’t handle and that brought in pinch runner Brylee Wyatt with the winning run.

The Underwood-to-Miles-to-Bohannon double play was one of two twin killings the Jeff Davis defense pulled off. In the bottom of the first inning, Vidalia had a runner on first with no one out. As in the 9th inning, the Vidalia batter laid down a sacrifice bunt that pitcher Carrie Arnold fielded and threw to Bohannon at first to get the batter out. The runner at first rounded second and tried to go to third but Bohannon rifled the ball to Underwood at third who tagged out the runner.

Monday’s game was the second nail-biter in a row for the Lady Jackets as, Saturday afternoon in Franklin, the Lady Jackets entered the top of the 10th inning against Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School of Atlanta with the game tied 4-4. That time it was offense that pulled out the win as JD erupted for five runs, highlighted by a 2-run single by sophomore Arnold and a 2-run homer by freshman Bohannon.

Mt. Vernon got a meaningless solo homer in the bottom of the inning as Jeff Davis won 9-5.

Those were two of three wins for JD for the week as the Lady Jackets knocked off Heard County 5-1 Saturday morning, also in Franklin, and JD’s record now stands at 5-0.

In the game against Heard County, Jaci Underwood had a single and a double and two RBI to lead the offense. Bentlee Metts had a pair of singles, Carrie Ellen Arnold and Claire Stinson both had a single and an RBI, and Jenna Miles and Laisha Hernandez both singled.

On the mound, Arnold gave up her first earned run of the season, on four hits, two walks and four strikeouts.

Against Mt. Vernon, Arnold paced the offense with four singles and four RBI. Underwood had a single, a double and an RBI, Hernandez had a pair of singles, Ava Bohannon had a homer and three RBI, and Cori Mims and Alera Vann both singled.

Freshman Jacqueline Villasenor pitched all 10 innings. She gave up three earned runs on eight hits, Walked 10, and struck out 11.

Against Vidalia, Miles had a pair of singles, Kalleigh Sellers doubled, Claire Stinson had a single and an RBI, Underwood, and Metts both singled, and Cori Mims had the game-winning RBI.

Arnold took the win on the mound. She pitched all nine innings, giving up two runs on six hits, five walks and eight strikeouts.

Score by innings:

JDHS 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 -5

HCHS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1

JDHS 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 -9

MVPS 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 -5

JDHS 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 -3

MVPS 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2