The Pickens High School Dragonettes softball team hosted the Heritage Generals, the defending region champions. Heritage housed the hosts 12-0. Heritage pitcher, Allison Vaughn, pitched five full shut out innings to secure the win.Dragonette pitcher, Savannah Buck, retired the first three batters of the game with two ground outs and a pop fly. Pickens showed promise in the bottom of the first, with lead off batter, third basewoman Megan Dixon, legging out a bunt single. Short stop Danielle Goss’ sacrifice bunt moved Dixon to second. Center fielder, Mindi Mullins’ hard hit single to third put women on first and third. However, a strike out followed by a ground out ended the inning.

Danielle Goss (Left) at SS
Haley Kalson (Right) at 2B
(Photo by LT Melton)

The Generals’ first run came via a lead off home run in the top of the second inning, courtesy of first basewoman Jesslyn Stockard. Catcher, Savannah Goldsmith, followed with single to right field; however, she reached second on an overthrow at first. Second basewoman, Renae Johnson’s single to center put women on first and third. Generals’ pitcher, Allison Vaughn, bunt single resulted in her reaching second, when the Dragonettes threw out Shea Headrick, courtesy runner for Goldsmith, at home plate. A fly out and a ground out ended the inning with the visitors up 1-0. The Dragonettes lacked fire in the bottom of the second, with all three batters striking out in succession.

Goldsmith led off, for the Generals, the third inning with a strike out. Third basewoman, Lauren Lawson, single to left, then promptly stole second and third on consecutive pitches. A walk of right fielder, Kristin West, put women on first and third. A routine single to Buck by Stockard, ended up scoring two more runs due to “Nettes” errors. An RBI double by Goldsmith gave Heritage a 4-0 lead. Following a strike out, Allison Vaughn’s RBI triple, put the home team down half a decade. A strike out by centerfielder, Allison Walker, ended the Heritage third inning scoring threat. Pickens failed to reach base again in the bottom of the third, with a strike out, fly out, and a ground out.

Megan Dixon on Third Base
(Photo by LT Melton)

The Generals’ march burnt the Dragonette’s chances of a comeback in the top of the fourth, when Heritage scored five more runs, including a three run home run by Goldsmith. Left fielder, Amber Burton, led off with a bunt single. A triple by shortstop, Brandy Goldsmith, scored Burton. An RBI bunt by Lawson made the score 7-0. A West single put women on first and second. Savannah Goldsmith’s home run followed a fly out. A groundout and a strike out ended the fourth inning scoring for the Generals.

With the Dragonettes failing to score in the bottoms of the fourth and fifth innings, and the Generals scoring two more runs in the top of the fifth, the game was called following the fifth inning.