Marianna Nips Graceville

By Clint Cox

GRACEVILLE – Marianna’s Cayce Griffin stroked a solo home run in the top of the eight inning to lift the Lady Bulldog’s softballs squad to a 4-3 win over the Graceville Lady Tigers on Tuesday night. After trailing the entire ball game, Graceville rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning. But Griffin led off the top of the eight inning with a deep shot over the left field fence and Lady Bulldog pitcher Hali Stout shut down the Lady Tigers in the bottom of the inning to notch the win for Marianna.
The Lady Bulldogs took an early lead as Allison Hutton scored in the first inning on a wild pitch. Jennifer Creamer also scored in the Lady Bulldog’s first at bat when Griffin missed a third strike but the ball got away from the Graceville catcher, allowing Creamer to give Marianna a 2-0 lead. Graceville got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning as Cayla Walker’s RBI single brought home Jessica Baxley to make it a 2-1 ball game. Marianna countered in the top of the third with a run as Jana Hinson’s infield single scored Krista Griffin to give the Lady Bulldogs a 3-1 lead. That score held until the bottom of the fifth inning when Graceville chipped away at the Lady Bulldogs lead. Meagan Sanders hit a RBI double to score a Lady Tiger and pull the Graceville to within one run of the Lady Bulldogs. That 3-2 score held until the bottom of the seventh when Graceville’s Walker reached base on a fielder’s choice. After Walker stole second base Sanders hit a ground ball to third base and beat out the throw to first base. Meanwhile Walker rounded third base and come home to tie the game at 3-3.
Stout took the win for Marianna, striking out 9 Lady Tigers. Sanders took the loss for Graceville. With the win Marianna improved to 11-4 on the season and Head Coach Natasha Braddy said her squad is coming together. "We’re continuing to be strong behind both the mound and the plate. Our bats are coming around and we are being more selective in our hitting. I think we are coming together as a team and I am very proud of the ladies," commented Braddy.