By Nick Nunn
Staff Writer

The Morgan County JV Lady Dogs played their last tournament games of the season this previous Saturday at the Heritage JV Tournament in Conyers. The JV Lady Dogs beat the Heritage Patriots 13-1 in the first game of the day, but lost their game against the Alcovy Tigers 2-4.
The Lady Dogs’ offense had a superb game against Heritage for the first game of the tournament. Every position in the lineup scored at least once, and six provided RBIs.
That isn’t to say that the defense wasn’t noteworthy as well. Pitcher Miranda Sneed threw five strikeouts while allowing only one walk. She also had one hit and no earned runs in four innings.
The Lady Dogs came out strong in the first inning. Sneed’s bunt, which was mishandled by Heritage’s first base player, allowed Hannah Carver and Ashley Backus, who had reached on a single and a walk, to score the first runs of the game.
Because of the error at first, Sneed was able to make it to third base on the play, and she scored after a single by Grace Arienzo during the next at-bat. Arienzo would be brought in by an RBI single by Danni Lee Dunagan.
The top of the first inning came to a close 4-0.
Heritage scored their only run of the game in the first inning.
In the top of the third, the Lady Dogs scored six more runs, even though they only had three hits in the inning. The first two batters to reach base for Morgan County in the inning, Brittany Smith and Dunagan, got on because of errors by the short stop for Heritage.
Smith stole home after a passed ball during the next at-bat, and Dunagan moved to third when back-to-back singles by Brianna Buttrill and Kilee Norman loaded the bases.
The top of the order came up, and Carver hit a long triple into right field, which scored the three runners that had been on base.
Both Carver and Backus, the second batter in the order, who earned a walk this at-bat, would make it to home plate this inning because of different passed balls by the Patriots.
The score at the end of the third inning was 10-1. Morgan County managed to score six that inning. 
The Patriots’ only hit of the game would be a single in the bottom of the third, but it wasn’t enough to do anything for their score.
In the top of the fourth, the Lady Dogs were able to manufacture three more runs. Smith hit an RBI single, and then was able to score after some alert base running. Buttrill was the last runner for Morgan County to cross the plate this game.
Heritage wasn’t able to rally in the bottom of the fourth, so the game came to a close in the fourth inning with the final score 13-1.
The second game of the day was less successful. Morgan County lost to the Alcovy Tigers 2-4 in five innings.
Morgan County gave up one run in the bottom of the first but answered back quickly in the top of the second inning with four back to back singles by Smith, Jessica Bailey, Dunagan, and Norman. Smith scored as a result of Norman’s single, and came in after a passed ball pulled the catcher from the plate during Buttrill’s at-bat.
Morgan County’s two runs in the second brought them into the lead 2-1 as Alcovy came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth. The Tigers were able to score after a leadoff single, which tied the score 2-2.
During the last at-bat of the second inning, Hayden Massey, who was pitching for the Lady Dogs for the second game up to this point, injured her knee during a pitch and had to come out of the game.
Morgan County wasn’t able to break the tie in the third inning. They were able to keep Alcovy from scoring as well with good defensive play, including a leaping catch by Arienzo that got the first out for the Dogs.
Neither team was able to add to their score until Alcovy brought two runners home in the bottom of the second.
After getting only one out in the bottom of the fifth, the game was called because of time, and the score remained 2-4. 
The last game of the season for the JV Lady Dogs was played on Monday against Jackson County. They won that game 5-6.

Printed in the September 27, 2012 edition