By Sedrick Bolton III September 8, 2022
FOREST PARK A game-turning bottom of the third inning for the Lady Panthers gave them the momentum to win the game against Mundy's Mill at the bottom of the seventh.
The Lady Tigers had a great start in the first inning with senior Jaylah Jones reaching third base off errors from Forest Park. She played a little game of cat and mouse on the base with the Lady Panther's catcher before being drove in for a run by fellow senior Jasmine Beckford.
With bases loaded, Mundy's Mill began scoring off walks and batters being hit by pitches. Left and right, the Lady Tigers' players reached home and was welcomed with loud cheers when they reached their dugout.
At the end of the top of the third, Mundy's Mill led with a score of 14-4.
But something changed in the bottom of the third. The Lady Panthers began to rally back.
What brought life back to the Lady Panthers was their pitcher Emily Reid. She had two RBIs with a big hit to deep center field as she reached third base. Forest Park's dugout and the crowd exploded with cheer on this huge play.
The high energy with the Lady Tiger's errors brought the game to within three for the Lady Panthers at the end of the bottom of the third.
The top of the fourth carried over that same energy as Forest Park got three quick outs to end it rather fast. But Mundy's Mill responded by giving them a taste of their own medicine. The fourth inning went by with no one scoring, but the Lady Panthers were still behind.
In the bottom of the fifth, Reid inspired her team again, hitting another big hit to deep center field. She drove in two runs while she advanced to third. With the fifth inning ending, Forest Park tied the game 15-15.
The Lady Tigers slowed down Forest Park's progress by scoring themselves, bringing back the same intensity from their earlier innings. Forest Park went on a run of their own, tying the score 18-18 at the conclusion of the sixth inning.
It came down to the final inning. The Lady Panthers stood their ground and stopped the Lady Tigers from scoring.
Sophomore Hannah Gadlin is first to bat and she gets hit by the pitch and advances to first base. She stole second and third base to bring the Lady Panthers one step closer to completing the comeback. An error on Mundy's Mill led Gadlin to slide home and win the game 19-18.
"I was just very excited, hoping we can come win in the seventh inning," said Forest Park's head coach Courtney Jones when asked about her thoughts with a tied score heading into the seventh inning. "I knew at that point we could probably take the game".
Mundy's Mill falls to 0-5 on the season and Forest Park improves to 3-5. The Lady Panthers and Lady Tigers next game are against Morrow September 12 and September 13 respectively.
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