ALAINA WEBER ROUNDS THIRD HEADED FOR HOME She was the first to score in the third inning for the Lady Tigers. A couple of times, the bridesmaid - this time, the bride!

Last Thursday, October 8, the Washington-Wilkes Lady Tigers (15-4) won the Region 4 championship with a solid 3-0 win over the Georgia Military College Bulldogs. It was the first-ever fast-pitch region championship for W-W who, twice before, had come up short against those same Bulldogs. The Tigers had been region champions in softball previously, when it was slow-pitch.

The game was deadlock at 0-0 until the bottom of the third when the Tigers got a pair of runs. GMC was never threatening until the sixth and seventh innings when they left five runners on base. The Lady Tigers collected eight hits to GMC's only three.

"Cayla Gilland pitched one of the best games of her high school career," Head Coach Rob Jackson said of his star junior pitcher. Gilland chalked the shutout by allowing just three hits while striking out nine and walking none.

The Tigers broke open the scoring in the bottom of the third inning when Alaina Weber led off with a single. Next up, Yakira Banks smacked a double which scored Weber and then Ashley West popped a single and Banks scored from second. In the fifth, Nikki Freeman walked and then singles by West and Lauren Chafin drove her in for the Tigers' third run.

YAKIRA BANKS MAKES THE PLAY AT SHORTSTOP She hit the RBI double that got the scoring started. GMC tried to mount rallies in the sixth and seventh innings but Gilland pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, and in the seventh pitched out of a jam with runners on first and second with no outs.

Leading hitters for the Tigers were Yakira Banks (1-4, 2b), Freeman (1-2), West (3-3), Chafin (2-3), and Weber (1-3).

On Tuesday, October 13, the Ladies hosted Echols County in the first round of the state playoffs. Echols was the No. 4 seed out of Region 1 and came to Washington with a 6-10 overall record. Playoff format is the best two-out-of-three with a doubleheader on the first day and a third game, if necessary, the following day. Results of the round one playoff were not complete as of this writing.

GABBY LAVENDER MAKES THE PLAY TO END THE GAME GMC left five on base in the last two innings of the championship. A win for the W-W team would send them to Round Two in which the Tigers would host the winner of a series between Bryan County (24-8) and Pacelli (15-8). Round Two will begin on Friday, October 16, following the same format as Round One.

The Elite Eight Tournament for the state championship will be held in Columbus, Georgia, October 22-24.

ASHLEY WEST STROKES A SINGLE She was 3-for-3 at the plate against GMC. LAUREN CHAFIN MAKE THE THROW She got the game's final RBI to seal the score.