Harris advances on 6-run second inning, Wakenigg's pitching
HAMILTON, Ga. -- Harris County scored six runs in the top of the second inning and Brooke Wakenigg allowed only one run Thursday as the Tigers defeated Ola 6-1 to advance in the Class AAAAA state tournament.
Harris County will travel to Douglasville Wednesday for a doublehaeder against Chapel Hill in their best-of-three series.
Morgan Charter led off the top of the second inning with a single. After taking the count to 3-2, Hannah Carroll fouled off a two-strike pitch before driving in Charter with a 2-run homer.
"When you have someone like Hannah Carroll who does something big like hit the home run, I think that's just a spark and people get excited," Harris County coach Brook Zuerner said. "Then that excitement takes over and you pass it down. It's hard to stop."
Still in the second with two outs, Abigail Thomason reached on a single. Lilly Hooper was hit by a pitch. Wakenigg reached on an infield single to load the bases. Anna Richardson drove in two runs with a single and chased Ola starter Sydney Tucker.
Facing new pitcher Kya Drapper, Carson Anderson fell behind 1-and-2 before fouling off three pitches and then driving in Wakenigg with a single to right center. Charter, batting for the second time in the inning picked up an RBI by driving in Richardson with a single and pushed the score to 6-0.
Wakenigg allowed a single to Laura Couch in the second inning. Couch was erased on an interference call when she contacted Abby White while trying to turn a double play. Wakenigg faced the minimum number of batters through the first three innings.
The Mustangs got their lone run on the fourth when Taylor Robinson reached on a fielder's choice and was driven in ahead of Katia Suarez' triple to pull Ola to within 6-1.
Ola loaded the bases in the fifth and had two base runners on in the sixth before Wakenigg shut down each rally.
"We went back and forth," Zuerner said of the decision to leave Wakenigg on the mound. "We got our other girl warm. You always want to have an option there. (Wakenigg) did a great job last night against them and we lost. I knew she could do it. It was hot today and it hadn't been hot in a while. All that goes into it., but you're a little bit more comfortable when you have a cushion there."
Thursday at Hamilton, Ga.
Harris 060 000 0--6 11 2
Ola 000 100 0--1 6 2
WP: Brooke Wakenigg (10-6). LP: Sydney Tucker. Hitting leaders--Harris County Hannah Carroll 1-4, HR, 2RBI; Lilly Hooper 2-3, R; Anna Richardson 2-4, R, 2 RBI; Morgan Charter 2-4, R, RBI. Next game: Ola's season ends. Harris County at Chapel Hill Wednesday.
This story was originally published October 15, 2015 at 9:08 PM with the headline "Harris advances on 6-run second inning, Wakenigg's pitching ."