The Portal Panther softball team closed out senior night in style as the Panther seniors heavily contributed to a 15-0 three inning run-rule victory over the visiting Bucs from McIntosh County Academy.
Portal jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and added nine more runs in the second and another two runs to close things out in the third. Senior Emma Yates went 3-3 with two RBI’s while Millie Scarborough had one hit and four RBI’s. Senior Marlie Motes added a pair of doubles and two RBIs while Riley Lamb went 3-3 with two RBIs and threw three hitless innings with eight strikeouts.
“We knew coming in McIntosh has struggled but I felt like we played pretty good,” said coach Travis Motes. “We knew we still had to come out and play and we hit the ball pretty well and Riley Lamb looked good on the mound.”
Lamb surpassed 500 career strikeouts last week and is now the all-time strikeout leader in Portal softball history. A four-year starter, Lamb has already committed to play at U.T. Chattanooga next fall.
“She had an immediate impact on our program when she came here as a ninth grader,” said Motes. “She has been a leader on this team and has unbelievable softball knowledge. She has been a pleasure to coach and her competitiveness really sets her apart. She has a great arm and a lot of different pitches she can throw for strikes but her will to win is her biggest strength.”
“Coach Motes talked to me before my ninth-grade year about playing here and I am so grateful for that as it has been a great four years here at Portal,” said Lamb. “I’ve been so blessed to be a part of this team and gotten to know some great friends through the years. My biggest struggles through my high school career have been mental and I’m thankful for Coach Motes and I have overcome a lot of obstacles over the last year. Having given my commitment to Chattanooga has really taken a lot off my mind and I have really been able to just have fun this year. I think this team can go far and I’m excited about getting the playoffs underway.”
Next up for the Panthers they wrap up the regular season at Johnson County. The Panthers earned the second seed in the region and will begin the state tournament with the new pod-format next week on the road at Lanier County.
“The way things are set up only one of the four teams that travel to Lanier County will advance to the Elite-8 in Columbus,” said Motes. “We will have our hands full, but I feel we can come out and advance. We have to avoid mental mistakes and be able to hit the ball. It looks like we will open up with Telfair County and I’m excited to get down there next week.”
