BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — As Lee-Scott Academy softball seniors Karlee Baker, McKenzie Johnson and Railey Langford and their families gathered to celebrate their careers, the announcer took several minutes to list their achievements.
After years of state tournament appearances, all-area selections and memories that included LSA head coach Tina Deese’s bus-driving mishap, the Lady Warriors wanted to send their leaders out in style.
Instead, LSA’s ferocious comeback attempt against 3A Area 6 rival Dadeville High School fell short as a 6-5 loss at the LSA Softball Complex on April 23.
Sydney Dunlap and Addison Mezick both tallied a run and an RBI, while Britt Harris and Laney Payne both went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Lady Warriors.
That defeat dropped the LSA to 14-11 overall and 3-3 in Area 6, and the Lady Tigers improved to 15-8 and 5-1 in Area 6.
Following a neck-and-neck start to the game, DHS benefited from the Lady Warriors’ initially sluggish play to go up 3-0 after the third inning.
The Lady Tigers then took advantage of several miscues to score three more runs in the top of the fifth to build a commanding 6-0 lead.
Facing a six-run deficit, the Lady Warriors refused to go out quietly.
LSA strung together a four-run rally in the bottom of the fifth, starting with a sacrifice fly to left field by Karlee Baker that scored Harris from third.
Not long after, Dunlap reached on an error by the Lady Tigers’ third baseman, which brought home Payne from third and Sarah-Caroline Joiner from second on a throwing error by the DHS pitcher.
Johnson later followed with a single to left field that scored Dunlap from second to pull LSA within two.
With the deficit trimmed to a single run, Mezick kept the momentum going in the bottom of the sixth, launching a solo home run to left field to cut the deficit to 6-5.
However, that was the closest the Lady Warriors would get.
Rory Mask pitched the full seven innings and earned the win for DHS, allowing seven hits, five runs — two earned — and one walk while striking out three.
Langford took the loss for LSA, pitching 4⅔ innings while surrendering six runs — four earned — on six hits. She struck out eight and walked none.
