Spalding's Lora Rape (3) hurls a pitch against Griffin High in the regular season as her teammates McKenleigh Kilgore (2) and Jennifer Viera get in position. (Jeff Armstrong/Daily News)
Spalding (14-12 overall) gets Sweet 16 play started with doubleheader action Oct. 17 at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. at Mercer University in Macon. Should the teams split, the “if” game is slated for Oct. 18 at 4:30 p.m. at Rutland High.
The Lady Jags, winners of 10 of their last 13 games, were led by Jennifer Viera’s two-run triple and two-run single and by outstanding pitching from sophomore Lora Rape in their 7-0 Game 3 victory over Worth County (12-23) in the state first-round last week. Rape threw two 1-hitters against Worth County and freshman McKenleigh Kilgore had 7 hits in the three games.
Spalding will definitely need good pitching and timely hitting against Region 2-AAAA champion Rutland (19-8-1), who easily dispatched Burke County in two straight, 16-0 and 16-1, in the first round of the state playoffs.
These two teams used to reside in the same region (4-AAA) and they last played each other Oct. 7-8, 2009 in a tense and thrilling Region 4-AAA Tournament finals. Spalding battled through the losers bracket to make the region finals, and beat Rutland in the first game 4-1. Rutland bounced back to win Game 2 by the score of 2-1 but Spalding clinched the Region 4-AAA championship with a wild 2-1 victory over Rutland in eight innings in Game 3.
No member of the current Lady Jags was on the team back then — Spalding senior Haedyn Kilgore was a freshman on the Lady Jags' junior varsity team in 2009.
Should Spalding get past Rutland, it will face the winner of the Locust Grove/Wayne County series in the Elite 8. Spalding would love to get a measure of revenge against Locust Grove, as the Lady Jags lost all three games to LG this year — including two games in the Region 4-AAAA Tournament.
SPALDING HIGH
Date Opponent Time
8/10 Fayette Co.% W 4-3
8/10 Newton Co.% L 12-3
8/11 E. Landing% W 12-4
8/11 Luella% L 11-4
8/14 @ Fayette Co. L 13-1
8/16 Jackson L 11-2
8/21 Dutchtown* L 15-13
8/22 @ Lamar Co. W 8-6
8/30 Stockbridge* L 8-3
9/6 @ E. Landing* L 10-7
9/10 Jonesboro* W 13-1
9/11 Woodland* L 7-1
9/13 @ Locust Grove* L 11-1
9/19 @ Griffin* W 7-2
9/20 @ N. Clayton* W 22-2
9/24 Lamar Co. W 10-6
9/25 Riverdale* W 10-2
9/26 @ Upson-Lee* W 14-7
****REGION TOURNAMENT****
10/2 L. Grove L 9-1
10/2 Stockbridge W 7-1
10/3 Griffin W 5-0
10/3 E. Landing W 12-4
10/4 L. Grove L 9-1
****STATE TOURNAMENT****
10/10 @ Worth Co. L 6-0
10/10 @ Worth Co. W 12-0
10/11 @ Worth Co. W 7-0
10/17 @ Rutland 4:30
10/17 @ Rutland 6:30
10/18 @ Rutland 4:30 (if)
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