The Eufaula Lady Ironheads put up a fierce fight on Thursday but ultimately fell to the Savanna Varsity SP Lady Dawgs, 8-4, in a hard-fought matchup packed with drama and big plays.
Savanna struck first blood in the opening inning, thanks to a clutch double by Allie Higgs that brought home two runs and set the tone early. But the Lady Ironheads weren’t backing down.
In the bottom of the third, Eufaula came storming back. Two timely singles set the stage for Kate Pippenger, who delivered a game-tying RBI single to make it 2-2 and electrified the home crowd.
The momentum swung further Eufaula’s way in the fourth. A costly error by Savanna opened the door for a go-ahead run, and Leah Green made them pay with a laser double that pushed the lead to 4-2.
But the Lady Dawgs refused to go quietly. In the top of the sixth, they unleashed a rally. Izzy Connor sparked it with a single, and her teammates followed suit. Hailey Lalli and Hannah Goostree each chipped in with fielder’s choice RBIs before Bailey Norton crushed a double to center, bringing in another pair and flipping the score in Savanna’s favor, 6-4.
Savanna added insurance runs to cap the comeback and pitcher Lillie Brown sealed the deal. Brown battled through seven innings, giving up 10 hits and four runs (only two earned), while keeping her composure under pressure.
Eufaula’s Abby Box also went the distance in the circle, tallying six strikeouts over seven innings, but was tagged for eight runs (seven earned).
Kate Pippenger led the offensive charge for the Lady Ironheads, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Raci Summerlin chipped in with two hits, and the team totaled 10 hits and turned a double play to keep the game tight.
On the Savanna side, Izzy Connor was unstoppable, going 3-for-3 and driving in two runs. Higgs matched that RBI total with a big day at the plate, while the team showed great patience, drawing six walks.
Both teams turned in gritty performances, but it was Savanna who walked away with the win after a wild and exciting game of momentum swings and clutch moments.
Green goes deep twice in Lady Ironheads’ 11-8 loss to Stigler Leah Green put on a show at the plate, blasting two towering home runs and driving in four runs, but it wasn’t enough to hold off a lategame surge by the Stigler Lady Panthers. The Eufaula Lady Ironheads fell in a heartbreaker, 11-8, on Monday in a thriller that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Green didn’t waste time making her presence felt. After Dally Engle launched a solo shot to center to get Stigler on the board in the top of the first, Green answered with a laser over the left-field fence in the bottom half to tie it up at 1-1.
The game stayed tight until the fourth, when KJ Lovell punched a single to give Stigler a 2-1 lead. The Lady Ironheads roared back in the fifth with a clutch rally: Rayleigh Peterson smashed a double that brought in two, followed by RBI hits from Kadie Jo Tidwell and a sac fly from Raci Summerlin. Eufaula grabbed the momentum and a 5-3 lead.
In the sixth, Green struck again—this time with a three-run moon shot to center that brought the crowd to its feet and extended the Ironheads’ lead to 8-3. It felt like Eufaula had the game in hand. The Lady Panthers had other plans.
In a stunning top of the seventh, Stigler exploded for eight runs on six hits, flipping the script in dramatic fashion. The biggest blow came off the bat of Nolee Blanchett, who roped a two-run single to cap the rally and give Stigler an 11-8 advantage that held up to the final out.
Despite out-hitting the Panthers 15-12, the Ironheads couldn’t overcome the late onslaught. Green led the way with a monster 4-hit performance, including two homers. Tidwell, Peterson, and Abby Box also had multiple hits for Eufaula in a strong offensive outing.
Makayla Harjo pitched all seven innings for Eufaula, battling through tough innings and finishing with one strikeout and seven walks. Six of her 11 allowed runs were unearned, thanks to defensive miscues.
For Stigler, KJ Lovell not only earned the win in the circle but also went 3-for-4 at the plate, driving in two. Engle and Blanchett also had two RBIs apiece, while Caitlin Lovett and Kenadee Spradley chipped in with multi-hit efforts.
The Panthers showed patience at the plate as well, drawing seven walks and turning one key double play in the field to help seal the win.
