Lady Dogs taking the long way in softball playoffs

If the GMC Prep softball team is going to make it back to Columbus for a third consecutive year, it’s going to have to take the long way.

The really long way.

The Lady Dogs (17-8) on Wednesday will head to the southwestern corner of the state for a best-of-three playoff series against the Seminole County Lady Indians (17-9), the second-seeded team out of Region 1. Games 1 and 2 are scheduled for 3 and 5 p.m. Wednesday. If there’s a split, the playoff contenders will break the tie in a 2 p.m. first pitch Thursday.

The last two GMC Prep softball trips to Columbus – site of the softball state championships each year – have started away from home. The Lady Bulldogs are looking to continue their road warrior ways and make it three in a row.

“We probably wouldn’t know how to act if we got to host,” GMC Prep head coach Jennifer Deason said. “We’ll have to go a good distance this first round, but I think we’re up for the challenge.”

Google Maps says it’s a three-and-a-half hour drive from Milledgeville to Seminole County High School in Donalsonville, probably longer by bus to cover the 200 miles. Being so separated geographically, it’s no shock that GMC Prep and Seminole do not share any common opponents this season. So the two teams are entering the matchup relatively blind.

“We’ve got a little information on them,” said Deason. “When you get to the playoffs, the top four teams out of every region are there because they’ve got something to offer. I feel good about what we’re taking on the road. We’ve got strong pitching, the potential to get a lot of bats hot, and we think we have our defense worked out. If we play to our potential, I feel good.”

The Lady Bulldogs are led by senior hurler Hannah Garner, whose earned run average sits at a minuscule 1.75 with over 200 strikeouts across 108 innings pitched. Garner, a Georgia Highlands junior college softball commit, is also toting a .514 batting average with 36 RBI. She headlines a GMC Prep lineup that features seven players hitting over .320.

Seminole County has been a perennial playoff team in recent years, but hasn’t done much after making it into the bracket.

The winner of the GMC Prep-Seminole series moves on to the second round to face either Lake Oconee Academy or Charlton County. Should GMC Prep win the opening round, it would have to travel to LOA. A Charlton win would bring that team to Milledgeville. The Lady Bulldogs have not seen Charlton this season, but have already defeated the LOA Lady Titans of Greensboro twice this season, 8-0 and 8-4.