The Lady Dragons couldn’t find their momentum going up against the Strother Lady Yellowjackets in the final round of the OSSAA Class A Fastpitch District Playoffs. After an impressive 11-1 win over the Wilson Lady Tigers, the Lady Dragons fell in a 17-1 battle to the Lady Yellowjackets. Dewar had one more shot to change the pace of the playoffs and they did just that, clenching a close 7-6 win. With a district record of 1-1, the Lady Dragons and Lady Yellowjackets battled it out in a final showdown Saturday.

The Lady Dragons had an impressive start to their playoff campaign with an 11-1 battle with county neighbors – the Wilson Lady Tigers. Having lost to Strother in a heartbreaking 23-1 defeat, the Lady Tigers were trying to make a comeback. However, a strong fifth-inning boost sealed the Lady Dragons’ first win.

A double out to center field in the first inning put the Wilson Lady Tigers in scoring position. Malaki Hedrick, Wilson’s runner, eventually made it across home plate, putting the Lady Tigers on the scoreboard 1-0.

The Lady Dragons faltered in the first inning with a fly-out and two strikeouts cutting their chances short. Despite a slow start, Dewar pitcher Skylar Randall busted out three consecutive strikeouts in the second inning.

Turning the game around in the second inning, the Lady Dragons tied the game with Talyn Been earning a base hit. Stealing to second base, Maikiya Carter, after reaching first on a catching error, gave Been the chance to tie the game, 1-1.

The Lady Tigers struggled to find their composure in the third inning. Randall delivered her fifth strikeout of the game, while a popout and a lineout to second baseman Talyn Been left the Lady Tigers short of earning any runs.

Having successfully stalled the Lady Tigers’ offense, the Lady Dragons went on a three-run rampage in the third inning. Lady Dragon leadoff hitter Autumn Campbell reached first on a catching error, which would eventually help Dewar tap into their first lead of the game. With one runner on base, Dewar third baseman Kobee Hewett hit a bunt base hit. The bases were soon loaded after the Lady Tigers walked shortstop Noe Corbin. Another walk broke the tie and put the Lady Dragons ahead 2-1. Breaking the tie with a walk-in run, Been hit an RBI sacrifice fly and garnered a 4-1 lead for the Lady Dragons.

Randall locked down the Lady Tigers in the last two innings, throwing three straight strikes in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth inning.

The Lady Dragons had free reign of the field and sealed their victory in the fifth inning. Randall hit an out-of-the-park homer on a 1-0 count, kickstarting an impressive six-run scoring streak. Catching errors and a two RBI single from Campbell helped the Lady Dragons extend their lead to a 11-1 victory.

Going up against the Strother Yellowjackets in a three game series, the Lady Dragons fought hard against the 15th ranked fastpitch team in Class A. But they couldn’t find their momentum against Strother’s pitcher, who earned 10 strikeouts in the four-inning game.

The Lady Dragons had an early start with Corbin hitting a solo homerun for the Lady Dragons, 1-0. Though Corbin had a strong start, the Lady Dragons’ offense couldn’t overcome the Lady Yellowjackets in the bottom of the first inning.

Strother was able to overturn the Lady Dragons’ one-run lead with double that nabbed them two runs, 2-1. After getting on the scoreboard in the first inning, the Lady Dragons faltered and couldn’t get on base the rest of the game, leaving the field wide open for the Lady Yellowjackets.

Making it to home for three runs in the bottom of the second, the Lady Yellowjackets slowly built up their advantage, 5-1. It was back-to-back six-run innings that left the Lady Dragons struggling with a 17-1 loss.

Having earned a 1-1 district record, the Lady Dragons had a chance to bounce back in round three of the playoffs. The Lady Dragons revived their chances with a close 7-6 win over the Lady Yellowjackets.

Consecutive base hits from Corbin and Randall put the Lady Dragons on the scoreboard 2-0 in the first inning. A slow first inning for the Lady Yellowjackets left them facing a 2-0 Lady Dragons lead.

Though they got the drop on the Lady Yellowjackets, Dewar’s two-run lead succumbed to a 2-2 tie after the Lady Yellowjackets sent two runners in to score. Catching errors helped the Lady Yellowjackets tap into the 2-2 tie.

The Lady Dragons took a hit in the third inning with the Lady Yellowjackets taking the tie and turning it into a small 3-2 lead.

The fifth inning marked the Lady Dragons’ revival with Randal and Been earning back-to-back RBIs. Been hit an RBI single out to left field to take a small 4-3 lead for the Lady Dragons.

The Lady Dragons kept the momentum going in the seventh inning. Campbell immediately got on with a base hit on a 1-1 count. Hitting an RBI double, Randall propelled the Lady Dragons into a two-run lead, 5-3. The Lady Dragons added one more run with Hewett getting Corbin to home on a sacrifice bunt, 6-3.

The Lady Yellowjackets tied the game in the seventh inning with three runs, 3-3, but the Lady Dragons managed to make one run in the eighth inning. Walking Hewett to first base, the Lady Yellowjackets gave the Lady Dragons the runner they needed to break the tie. Dewar first baseman Gracie Britt hit an RBI single to clench a 7-6 win over the Yellowjackets.

Despite gaining a win over the Lady Yellowjackets, Dewar couldn’t keep their momentum up in the last round of the district playoffs.

The Lady Dragons struggled to get on base in the first three innings, while the Lady Yellowjackets built up a 6-0 lead. Campbell broke through in the fourth inning with a single before Corbin hit a two-run homer. Corbin’s homerun got the Lady Dragons on the board 6-2 but the Lady Yellowjackets ended the game with a six-run inning, 12-2.