GDW Analysis:
GOOD HOPE: Two days after winning the 4A, Area 13 regular season softball title, Good Hope's Lady Raiders got a good challenge from the Danville Lady Hawks Thursday.
Good Hope's 3rd inning at the plate was much better than Danville's.
Good Hope scored 7 runs on 7 hits to overcome a 5 run deficit. The Lady Raiders earned a 9 to 8 victory.
Tim Tucker's Lady Raiders finish 5 & 1 in Area 13 play. They will host the area playoff starting on April 26 according to reports.
Danville is 2 & 4 in area play and will be the 3rd seed in the tournament.
West Morgan is 2nd at 3 & 3 and East Lawrnce 4th in the area standings.
Danville took a 2 to 1 lead in the 2nd on a 2 run homer and then pushed 4 across in its half of the 3rd to be up on the Lady Raiders 6 to 1.
Held to 3 hits through the 2nd, Good Hope shook off a slow start and made things happen.
After Kylee Smith led off the 3rd with a double to right, Campbell Koch singled her in. Following a strikeout, Molly Benefield singled.
Addyson Burgess got a single to load the bases. Natalie Miller's 2 run double had them down by a run at 6 to 5.
Burgess broke home on a wild pitch to get the game even.
Smith would hit for the 2nd time in the frame with a double into the gap in right/center and Good Hope ended the inning ahead by the score of 8 to 6.
Burgess, pitching Thursday, shut out Danville in the 4th and 5th inning. The Lady Hawks had two to score in the 6th on a single and the game was up for grabs.
Good Hope put a run on its side of the scoreboard in the 5th when Gracie Garmon singled, moved to 2nd on a walk to Lizzy Steed.
Smith laid down a sacrifice bunt and a ground ball to 2nd by Koch was deep enough to score Garmon.
Burgess began the 7th with a strikeout, then Jada Weaver doubled to left/center and was moved to 3rd on a sacrifice bunt by Kirsten Robinson.
Aubrey Reed grounded the ball to Smith at short who had a sharp throw to Benefield at 1st for the final out.
The game was played in 2 hours, 15 minutes ending at 6:49 p.m.
Good Hope has a 19/11/1 record and is 6 & 2 in playing at its home diamond.
The Lady Raiders will face the Fairview Lady Aggies at home Friday 4:30 p.m.
Photo of Good Hope seniors Addyson Burgess (left) and Haley Ley before Thursday's area game vs. Danville.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
