By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The red-hot LaGrange High softball team topped Troup 5-1 on Thursday afternoon for a critical Region 5-AAAA win.

Camden Smith not only pitched a complete-game victory, but she also hit a two-run home run to cap a four-run first inning.

LaGrange, which has won 10 of 12 games overall, improved to 16-8 overall, and 5-3 in the region.

LaGrange is in second place in the region with four region games remaining, including Saturday’s doubleheader at Cartersville.

Troup (7-11 overall) is 3-7 in the region, and it has two region games left.

In Thursday’s game, Troup took the lead with a run in the top of the first, and LaGrange answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning.

Malone Aldridge led off with a base hit, and she later scored on a groundout by Abby Vanhoose.

After a Jacee Marable base hit, Holly Lynn gave Troup the lead with a two-run home run.

Smith followed with a solo home run over the center-field fence, and LaGrange led 4-1.

That was nearly it for the scoring, with LaGrange plating the final run in sixth inning on a Smith base hit.

Smith finished with three hits for LaGrange, Marable had two hits, and Aldridge, Lynn and Macee Stone each had one hit.

Smith was dominant on the mound for LaGrange, pitching the seven-inning complete game while giving up four hits and zero earned runs with six strikeouts.

Maggie McDonald pitched well for Troup with a complete-game eight-hitter, and she kept her team in the game after the difficult first inning.

McDonald also contributed at the plate with a base hit and an RBI, and Hadleigh Livingston, Skye Loftin and Avery Pearson each had a hit.