Staff Reports

CENTRE – The Cherokee County Lady Warriors finished as the Class 4A, Area 9 softball runner-up after losing to White Plains 9-3 in the area championship game on Friday.

Both teams advance to next week’s East Central Regional in Montgomery.

Friday’s area championship game was tied at 3 until the top of the sixth when White Plains scored five runs. The Lady Wildcats added an insurance run in the top of the seventh for the final.

McKinley Rouss went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run and a RBI for the Lady Warriors (20-16). Alana Loyd was also 2-for-4 with a run. Lanie Williams went 1-for-2 with a RBI. Karlee Perry was also 1-for-2 with a walk and a run. Abby Lea finished with a hit and a walk.

Lea suffered the loss after working 5 1/3 innings. She gave up seven earned runs on 12 hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

The Lady Warriors reached the championship game after defeating Jacksonville 16-5 in six innings in an elimination game earlier on Friday.

Raechel Russell led the Lady Warriors at the play by going 4-for-4 with three doubles, four runs and three RBIs. Lea went 3-for-5 with a RBI. Anna Walker was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two runs. Grayson Tucker went 2-for-5 with a double, a run and two RBIs. Loyd was also 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs. Perry and Rouss both posted a pair of hits, a pair of runs and a RBI.

Carson Coley contributed a hit, a walk, two runs and a RBI. Williams added a hit with a RBI. Audrey Haygood scored two runs.

Loyd earned the win after working six innings. She gave up four earned runs on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts.