EAST POINT – In what coach Craig Perryman called “an extremely physical game” that featured an ejection for “malicious intent,” Moultrie-Colquitt County’s 12 & under softball team fell short 8-7 in the GRPA Class A/B championship game against host East Point Friday.

On Thursday East Point knocked Colquitt into the loser’s bracket 9-3 in a game that ended with a disputed obstruction call with the bases loaded.

East Point scored two in the first and one in the third to take a 3-0 lead. Colquitt added one in the fourth but East Point scored two to make it 5-1.

A “poorly played” top of the fifth allowed East Point to score four for a 9-1 lead. But Colquitt plated two in the fifth before the obstruction call ended the game.

Colquitt had 10 runners left on base in the game. Emily Allegood, Jacey Wetherington and Madison Plymel all had two hits. Katlynn Powers, Abby Nobles and Laura Haley Bryan added one each.

Colquitt had to play Ware County Thursday to get to the championship game and another shot at East Point. Colquitt scored three in the first and five in the second to take a 8-0 lead. After a short weather delay, Ware did not to return to the field and the game was called.

Perryman said an appeal ruling by the GRPA forced completion of the game Friday before the finals. Colquitt quickly dispatched Ware 16-1. In the Ware game Allegood, Powers and Elle Perryman had two hits. Wetherington, Plymel, Whitney Perryman, Baylee Tatum, Nobles, Amber Brown and Bryan had one each.

In the Championship game Colquitt quickly took the lead on a Powers inside-the park-homer in the top of the first. But in the bottom of the first East Point used two walks and two singles to plate two. Further damage was averted on a Powers to Perryman to Plymel tag at the plate double play.

East Point used two walks and two singles to add three runs in the second and the same formula to add two in the third to take a commanding 7-1 lead.

In the fourth Colquitt used five hits to score four and turn around what appeared to be a blowout. In the field, Colquitt used a perfectly executed fake throw play by Allegood to cut down the runner at the plate.

“The runner was ejected for ‘malicious intent’ when she initiated contact with the catcher Plymel with an extended arm thrust at the plate,” said Perryman. “After a 10-minute delay she shook off the dust and settled back in behind the plate.”

Colquitt team used a Powers single, a Perryman triple and a Plymel single to tie the score at 7-7 in the fifth.

In the sixth and final inning, the visiting Colquitt offense got two on base before Powers lined out down the line in left and Perryman’s hard liner was speared by the pitcher for an inning ending double play. East Point scored one in the home half on a wild pitch on the converted baseball field to win 8-7

“We never really got our feet under us all week,” said Perryman. “Rainouts, delays, strange rulings and a great East Point team never let us get comfortable. Our girls gave extreme effort and I couldn’t ask for more. We just didn’t make that one more play we needed. But rest assured, we will be back.”