Coach Eugene Singletary’s Bainbridge High School Lady Cats softball team ended their regular season with a 10-3 Region 1-AAAAA home victory over Columbus’s Hardaway High School Lady Golden Hawks Friday on senior night.

The Lady Cats took a13-11 record into Tuesday’s opening round of the Region 1-AAAAA Tournament at Lee County High School, in Leesburg, Ga. They met the Northside-Columbus High School Lady Patriots in the opening round. The double-elimination tournament runs through Friday.

Following Friday’s victory over Hardaway, senior pitcher, infielder and outfielder Caitlin Cato, senior outfielder Destiné Salter and senior outfielder Alisha Peterson were escorted onto the field by their families.

Each received purple and gold balloons and flowers from their teammates and Singletary.
Cato, the daughter of Dennis and Tracy Cato, has played softball and soccer and run cross country throughout her high school career, while maintaining an “A” academic average.

After graduation, she plans to obtain a degree in bio-agricultural engineering, with a minor in psychology, from the University of Georgia or Georgia Tech. She also may play college softball in the fall at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton.

Salter, the daughter of Etosha and Xavier Salter, was selected to represent Bainbridge High School at American Legion Girls State, following her junior year. After graduation, she plans to attend Bainbridge College for a year, and then transfer to the University of Georgia to study animal medicine.

Peterson, the daughter of Shaland Morris and Alisha Peterson, is a member of the Golden Rule Club. After graduation, she plans to enter the Air Force and later become a physical therapist.

The Lady Golden Hawks took an early 3-0 lead Friday when they scored two runs in the top of the first inning and added another in the top of the second.
The Lady Cats bounced right back with two in the bottom of the second and one in the bottom of the third to pull even 3-3.

Shortstop Maegan Harrison led off the Bainbridge second inning with a single, and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Catcher Lindsey Griner singled her home and moved up to second on a wild pitch, before scoring on an error.

In the bottom of the second, Cato doubled and eventually scored the tying run on a double by Harrison.

The Lady Cats scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead to stay 7-3. The key blow in the inning was a two-run single by centerfielder Anna Barber.

The Lady Cats added two in the bottom of the fifth and one in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away.

In the bottom of the fifth, Barber doubled in Laura Griner and Cato, who reached on errors. In the bottom of the sixth, Caitlyn Dunlap doubled in Harrison, who led off with a double.