The Dawson County High School Lady Tigers softball season is well under way as the team wrapped up a three-game home stand Aug. 9 with a 9 – 1 victory over the Denmark High School Danes.

The win is the first for the Lady Tigers in the 2018 season.

“It’s good to get the monkey off our back,” said Head Coach Jimmy Pruett. “Losing the first two was tough.”

A jittery performance in the season opener on Aug. 6 with White County saw the Lady Tigers struggle with fielding, and the offense was slow to come to life, putting up three runs late in the game.

The offensive drought continued when the Chestatee War Eagles came to visit on Aug. 7 as the Lady Tigers once again put up three runs in the game's later innings. Defensively, the unit looked good, playing virtually error-free ball.

“The first two games weren’t us,” Pruett said about the team’s difficulties. “It’s early in the season and nerves have to be taken as a part of that.”

It all came together Aug. 9 as the Lady Tigers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with some solid contact on the ball and a fielder’s choice that allowed Carol Drake to give the team their first lead of the season.

Behind strong pitching from Maggie Schandera who, over five innings and 79 pitches, struck-out eight batters while walking one and allowing only five hits, the Lady Tigers continued the offensive onslaught adding four runs in the second and four more in the fourth.

The Danes put themselves on the board with a tremendous solo home run by Jesse Denardo in the third, but the effort was not quite enough to spark a rally.

“We didn’t play well enough against a good club,” said Denmark Head Coach David Smart. “[Schandera] in the circle did a good job moving the ball around.”

The Dawsonville Lady Tigers continued their season Aug. 13 with their first away game versus Union County, which resulted in the third loss of the season, with a final score of 8-1.