Three up, three down!
Morgan County recently captured its third straight region championship under head coach Chad Pigg.
The Lady Dogs finished region play with a 9-1 record, with their only loss coming to Jackson on Sept. 16. They lost 5-4 in a close decision, but defeated the Lady Red Devils 13-1 in the next matchup two days later.
After the series with Jackson, Morgan County defeated Pike County, winning 12-11 and 10-5 to secure the region championship. The Lady Pirates fought hard against the Lady Dogs but fell short, finishing as runners-up.
Morgan County closed out the region schedule by easily sweeping Callaway and facing a few non-region opponents. The Lady Dogs finished the season by winning six of their last seven contests after the Jackson series.
“Very proud of this group for battling it out,” Pigg told the Lake Oconee News this week. “A huge region sweep of a tough Pike County team put us in a good position to wrap up the region title.”
The Lady Dogs (17-8) enter the Class 2A state playoffs as the No. 3 seed overall, behind No. 1 Appling County and No. 2 Sonoraville. They are now on a mission to return to Columbus and defend their state title.
Morgan County began its playoff run on Wednesday against No. 29 seed Tattnall County (2-17). The winner of the series will face either No. 14 Hart County or No. 19 Franklin County next week for a trip to Columbus.
The Lady Dogs have experienced a lot of success this season without senior pitcher Ryleigh Hilsman. The talented right-hander has missed most of her final season due to an injury, but hopes to return for the playoffs.
Hilsman was a major part of Morgan County’s success last season, as the Lady Dogs won the Class AA state title. But it helps that veterans such as Sadie Bartlett, Mark Faulkner, Jaleigh Harper, and Jayden Daniel, among others, have returned.
They’ve been leading the way on and off the field, with the support of Hilsman.
Pigg believes this group has fought hard this season and knows anything can happen in ‘Dogtober.’
“This group has grit and really believes they can play with anyone,” Morgan County’s head coach said. “We are excited to get the playoffs started and get rolling with what our girls have declared ‘Dogtober softball.’”