Ellabell, GA — Bryan County’s much anticipated softball showdown with Emanuel County proved to be a bust as the Bulldogs romped to a 10-1 win Tuesday evening at Hendrix Park.
The Redskins bounced back with a 14-2 win over Metter on Wednesday but any chances they had of repeating as the Region 3A Public champions went by the boards as ECI took charge of the game at the outset.
The Bulldogs got to Bryan County ace Hayden Joyner for three runs in the first inning and never looked back in cruising behind the two-hit pitching of Charla Clifton.
Clifton followed up that gem with a one-hitter in a 3-0 win over Portal on Wednesday to give ECI its sixth region title in the last seven years.
“We beat her time three times last year,” Redskins coach Jason Roundtree said. “That’s the best I’ve seen her pitch.”
Bekah Johnson homered in the fourth inning for Bryan County’s lone run.
By that time the Bulldogs were up 5-0 and the wrapped it up with five in the fifth.
The homer was the hot-hitting Johnson’s sixth of the season.
She had a pair of doubles against Metter to drive in five runs.
Johnson is now hitting .600 on the season with 30 hits—19 of them for extra bases—in 50 at bats.
She has 30 RBI with three regular season games remaining before the GHSA state playoffs begin.
Bryan County was third in the state playoffs last year and ECI was fourth.
The Redskins will play at Portal on Thursday, go to Screven County on Monday and close at home against McIntosh County Academy on Tuesday at 5:30.
The Redskins had won seven straight games going into the ECI game and were coming off an impressive doubleheader sweep last Saturday at Schley County.
The momentum, however, failed to carry over against the Bulldogs.
“They were focused and we weren’t,” Roundtree said. “That’s my fault. Their pitcher (Clifton) put their team on her back and carried them. They had momentum from the first pitch (a ringing double down the left field line). I knew it was going to be tough to score. Starting out down 3-0 made it tougher.”
The Redskins took out their frustrations on Metter, striking for six runs in the first inning.
Leading 7-1 they scored five times in the third and added two in the fourth to end it on the mercy rule.
Buoyed by Johnson’s output Bryan County is hitting .381 as a team.
Xandria Dean is at .414, Presley Carlucci is hitting .406 and Mackensie Bailey, the team’s lone senior is hitting a solid .400 with 17 RBI.
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