MOULTRIE – The first Colquitt County team in the school’s return to slow-pitch softball was eliminated from the state tournament on Thursday.
The Lady Packers lost their opening game in the 18-team tournament held at Twin Creeks Park in Woodstock when they fell to Elbert County 20-6 on Wednesday.
The Colquitt girls regrouped in their first-losers bracket game on Wednesday, eliminating Woodstock 14-4.
But on Thursday, the Lady Packers themselves were eliminated, falling to Haralson County 13-2.
Colquitt, which restarted its program and was playing slow-pitch for the first time since 2000, finishes 7-6.
The Lady Packers won six of their 10 regular-season games.
Two of their regular-season losses were to top-ranked Richmond Hill. The other two came at the hands of No. 2-ranked West Laurens.
The Lady Packers pounded out 12 hits in the loss to Elbert County.
Allie Eure led the way by going 3-for-4 and driving in three runs.
Caroline Eidson, Caselynn Allen and Ava Fields each had two hits and Kamry Paulk, Karleigh Heard and Ryleigh Webb each had a single.
The Lady Packers scored six runs in the top of the first inning of their five-inning run-rule victory over Woodstock.
Paulk went 4-for-4 and Eure and Heard each had three hits for the Lady Packers in the second game.
Fields, Eidson and Anna Lynn Armstrong each had two hits.
Webb, Allen and Ryleigh Tillery each had one hit.
Eidson had a triple; Eure, a pair of doubles; and Allen, a double in the 19-hit attack.
But the Lady Packers managed just single runs in the first and fourth innings against Haralson County on Thursday morning.
Haralson’s five-run fifth inning shortened the game.
Paulk, Eure and Armstrong each had two hits.
Eidson, Heard, Tillery, Allen and Addison Moore each had one.
Eure, the freshman shortstop, had eight hits in the three games in the Lady Packers return to the state tournament. Two were doubles.
Paulk had seven and Heard five to help lead the Lady Packers.