By HARVEY SIMPSON
Dispatch Sports Editor
BAINBRIDGE — Officially, the District 3 12-and-under girls softball champions are referred to only as Crisp County.
Based upon the closeness of four of their five games in the three-day tournament that concluded early Thursday morning, the winners well deserve an additional tag of “Cardiac Kids.”
En route to the crown that earns it a trip to Georgia Recreation and Parks Association state tournament play July 9-11 in Waycross, the Crisp team posted three one-run wins and suffered its only loss by two runs.
“We definitely won some cliffhangers,” head coach John Thompson said in reference to a 14-13 victory over Grady County and the pair of 8-7 wins over Lee County that they sandwiched around a 6-4 loss to that foe.
The only game in which Thompson and his team didn’t have to sweat out a victory came on Tuesday against Bainbridge. They were leading it 11-5 when play was halted one out away from the finish. When the contest was finished on Wednesday, the final score was 11-6.
Then came the 6-4 loss to Lee County followed by the second 8-7 victory that ended shortly after midnight when Savannah Thompson drew a two-outs, bases-loaded walk to cap a four-run last-inning rally.
It was thus a weary, but jubilant group that returned home triumphantly just three hours or so before daylight Thursday after a 90-mile one-way trek for a third straight day.
“I’ll have to say our girls gave 110 percent every game,” an elated Thompson acknowledged. “They could have given up several times — especially when we were just an out away from a three-run loss to Lee in the finals — but they never did. Instead, they kept battling and finally pulled it out. We’re all as proud of them as we can be.”
Thompson said pitchers Shane Phinney, Mandy Foster and Megan Butterworth “are due a lot of credit for our success.
“The same can be said about the job Torie Holmes, Julia Davis, Summer Powell, Megan Coleman and Bailey Leger did at the plate and Savannah Brown, Savannah Thompson and Caylee Strange did in the field.
“I want to give by assistant coaches — Jeff Davis, Toby Coleman, Sherrie Leverett and Kyle Davis — a lot of praise, too, for all their time and effort.
“Really, I’d like to express a big thank you for every thing everybody did for us.”
Local Sports
12-and-under girls capture district crown
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Wildcats earn third straight title series berth
The little ol’ town of Bethlehem and its top-ranked GISA Class A state baseball team couldn’t keep Crisp Academy from achieving Friday something akin to a yule gift — a third straight state title series berth.
Paired against a host Knights’ squad that brought a sparkling 19-2 record into a best-of-three series to determine which of them would qualify for the finals, coach John Penney’s Wildcats swept their hosts by 6-1 and 9-7 scores. -
Former Crisp, NFL player to host July football camps for youths
Believed to be the only Crisp County High gridder ever to play in the National Football League, Andre Ramsey plans to conduct this summer a two-day camp he hopes will lead to others following in his footsteps.
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Cougars' Whitman signs with Jaguars
Crisp County High outfielder/pitcher Luke Whitman (seated center) signed Friday a baseball scholarship to attend Georgia Perimeter Junior College in Covington.
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Trojans' Keene, Hogg make All-Region 3-AA team
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Crisp, Westwood academies reveal schedule for GISA baseball state title series
Playing times and days for the Class A GISA state baseball championship series have been released by the competing schools.
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Miller tops latest horseshoes standings
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Coveted Patriot Awards go to Montgomery, Fuller at Wilcox fete
Presentation of the prestigious Patriot Awards to a male and female senior who in the past year excelled in specified areas highlighted Wilcox High’s annual all-sports fete held Monday night.
Recipients of those honors bestowed upon them for their academic, athletic and social achievements were basketball/track participant Shareba Montgomery and football/baseball player Bryant Fuller. Their choice for the honors was the result of voting by the school’s coaches. -
Harris going from Wilcox Patriots to Fullington Trojans
History is repeating itself for Tim Harris who in recently being named head baseball coach and defensive coordinator at Fullington Academy will be fulfilling the same duties he had when he launched a 28-year career at Wilcox High.
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No. 1 Knights await visit by No. 3 Wildcats in GISA Class A Final Four duel
As a first-year member of the Georgia Independent Schools Association and a school playing a full varsity slate for the first time, Bethlehem Christian’s baseball team has experienced instantaneous success.
Since launching the 2012 season with a 5-2 victory over the defending Class A state champion Crisp Academy team it will host this weekend in the Class A Final Four round, the Knights have indeed been on a roll. - More Local Sports Headlines
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