The Long County Lady Blue Tide softball team got back to action after over a week’s delay and started their busy week of play with an all-important game against the Calvary Day Cavaliers. The winner of the game on Monday, October 7 all but wrapped up the number two seed in region 3-AAA.
Unfortunately for the Lady Tide, they could not repeat their batting magic they had in game two, a 10-4 win, as the Cavaliers jumped out in front in the first inning.
A leadoff single down the third base line and a fielder’s choice throw was late at second that gave the Cavaliers two on with no outs. A third straight single to right field scored one to put the Cavaliers up 1-0.
The Lady Tide finally got an out on the board when they got a runner at second on a single to centerfield, but another run scored before the Tide got the last two outs to come up to bat.
The Tide could not get their bats going into the first inning but the defense did step up big, sitting down the next seven batters in the second and third innings and then the first of the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the second, Lana Lewis and Leah Denmark both reached on errors, but they could not get on the board and the Tide trailed 2-0 going into the third.
That score held into the fifth inning before Casey Lust led off the inning with a single. Addison Moss’ sacrifice bunt moved up before Reese Davis grounded out to first to put a runner on third.
Jersi Lester brought home the first run for the Tide on a single to make the score 2-1.
The Cavaliers added an insurance run in the top of the sixth to make the score 3-1.
Miley Maulden singled and Denmark each singled with two outs. However, on Denmark’s single to right field, a great throw from the outfield to home plate to got Maulden out instead of making the score 3-2.
With a 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh, the Cavaliers added two more runs on three hits to essentially seal the victory.
With the loss, the Lady Tide fall to 10-10 and 8-5 in the region. This will likely give them the number three seed in Region 3-AAA. However, because of Calvary Day being a private school, they will be slated into a separate bracket for the state playoffs.
This opens the opportunity for the Lady Tide to move into the top 16 and host the first round of the state playoffs. They played at Jenkins on Tuesday, October 8.
The state playoffs begin next week.