Gaffney a big hit at tourney
By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Sports Editor larry@gaffneyledger.com

Strong thunderstorms couldn't dampen Gaffney High softball coach Kelly Ellis' enthusiasm over her team's performance at the Lexington Invitational.

The Lady Indians finished the tournament with a 3-0-1 mark and were leading tournament favorite North Augusta 2-1 when inclement weather halted the tournament.

"I was really pleased with the way we played," Ellis said. "We did real well. There were a lot of strong teams."

Gaffney opened the pool-play portion of the tournament with a 7-4 win over Airport on Friday. The 75-minute time restriction for each game came into play in the Lady Indians' 3-3 tie with Nations Ford. Megan Standridge and Lana Ward were the offensive stars in the game with an RBI and a triple.

The Lady Indians concluded pool play with a 2-1 win over Swansea. Megan Sexton provided the big hit with a 2-run homer. Courtney Campbell allowed just one hit to earn the win.

Pool play records were used to determine the seedings in a single-elimination tournament. The Lady Indians, the fifth seed, edged Lugoff-Elgin, 2-1.

Hillary Key and Sara Griffith had the RBIs for the Lady Indians.

Gaffney was up on North Augusta in the bottom of the fourth when the tournament was called.

"This tournament should get us back on the right track," the Gaffney coach said. "We should get some confidence from the way we played."

The Lady Indians host Boiling Springs in a makeup game today and Hillcrest on Tuesday.