Bella Segars tie breaking sacrifice fly in fifth lifts Georgia over Logan 2-1 in Senior League Southeast Regional

Logan Senior League had plenty to smile about during the league's recent run in the Southeast Regional in Clarksville, Tennessee. Logan was defeated by Hart County, Georgia Senior League, 2-1, and finished third in the Senior League Southeast Regional Monday afternoon.

Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports 

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.  Bella Segars hit a tie breaking sacrifice fly in the fifth

inning scored Willow Morgan as Hart County (Georgia) Senior League edged

the Logan Senior League 2-1 Monday afternoon in the Senior League Softball

Southeast Regional Monday afternoon at Civitan Park.

Segars reached on an error in the third inning allowing Madison Smith to

score the first run as the reigning Senior League Softball Southeast

Regional champions advanced to Monday afternoon’s championship against

Irmo (South Carolina) Senior League.

Unfortunately for Hart County, Irmo scored the game’s only run on an error in

the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat Georgia 1-0 and punch its ticket to the

Senior League Softball World Series August 3-9 in Sussex County, Delaware.

After a one-hour weather delay, and two scoreless innings, Logan loaded the

bases in the top of the third with one out. Mia Johnson reached on an error

and Lilly and Miley Fleming singled to load the bases; however, Hart County

starting pitcher Chesnee Strickland struck out Logan’s Zoe Chaney and Myah

Kirkendall to keep the game scoreless.

Strickland allowed one run on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk in

seven innings to get the win in the circle for Hart County.

Kinley Steele singled in the fourth to plate Lena Setser with the game tying

run, tying it 1-all after four.

Logan had plenty of traffic on the base paths through six innings, stranding

seven runners on base while hitting a combined 3 for 15 with runners on base.

Strickland retired Logan in order in the seventh, her only 1-2-3 inning of the

afternoon, ending a dream season for the Logan All Stars, which included a

second consecutive state championship and a top three finish in the Senior

League Southeast Regional.

Logan defeated the Florida state champions, Dr. Phillips Senior League, 11-1,

on Friday, but fell into the elimination bracket after losing to eventual

Southeast Regional champion, Irmo, 11-4 on Saturday.

Logan rebounded to defeat the Virginia state champions, York County Senior

League, 8-1, and the hosts from Tennessee, St. Bethlehem Senior League, 2-

1, on Sunday.

Bella Burgess had two of Hart County’s five hits Monday and Morgan, Smith

and Strickland each had one hit for the victorious Georgia state champions.

One day after winning a pair of elimination games in the circle, Johnson was

the tough luck losing pitcher for Logan after allowing two runs – one earned –

in six innings. She allowed five hits, struck out three and walked one.

Johnson finished the tournament with a 3-1 record, struck out 26, walked just

four and posted a 0.84 ERA. She allowed five runs – three earned – on 18 hits

in 25 innings pitched.

Lilly Fleming and Setser each had two hits for Logan while Steele had one hit

and one RBI and Miley Fleming and Ayla Vance had one hit each.

Myah Kirkendall, who was held hitless Monday, led Logan with a .467 batting

average in five tournament games. Kirkendall and Miley Fleming led the team

with seven hits with Fleming hitting .438 during the tournament.

Setser and Vance had a home run in Logan’s tournament opening mercy rule

win over Florida and Setser led the team with five RBIs.

PHOTO | Debbie Kirkendall