Long County did something Thursday that no other team had been able to do previously this year — beat Vidalia.
In a defensive battle that went down to the wire, the Lady Tide beat the Lady Indians 1-0 in softball action in Ludowici. Going into the game, Vidalia was undefeated and ranked as the No. 2 team in the state by the MaxPreps-Foreman power poll.
Long County head coach Brian Thomas said Vidalia was a great team, and by his girls winning it showed that they have the ability to defeat any team in the state.
“This means a lot to our team. We knew that they were the top team in the state as far as winning percentage. Our team now knows that they can compete with the best teams in the region,” he said.
Lady Tide starting pitcher Harley Dawson got the win, allowing only three hits and no walks while striking out 10 batters. Long County’s Bailey Harrison was 2 for 3 with the lone RBI in the game.
On Wednesday, Long County beat Jenkins 8-0 in non-region action in Ludowici. Dawson was the winning pitcher, going the distance and striking out 11 batters while giving up one hit. Rylie Poppell was the leading batter in that game, going 2 for 4 at bat with three RBIs. Dawson also had a good night at the plate, going 2 for 3.
On Tuesday, the Lady Tide swept a region doubleheader against Groves in Savannah by identical scores of 18-0. In the early game, Dawson got the win in two innings, striking out six batters and not giving up any hits. Leading batters were Cat Wingate and Poppell, who both were 2 for 2.
In the late game, Wingate got the start and win, striking out four batters in two innings of action. Wingate only allowed one hit while on the mound.
Malaka Elix, Amira Kuhaneck, Taylor Burnside, and Mackenzie Pattison each had two hits.
With last week’s four wins, the Lady Tide improved their overall record to 15-9 and their Region 2-AA mark to 5-7.
On Monday the Lady Tide are back at home to face Savannah Country Day in non-region action. It also will be Senior Night, with all seniors being recognized after the game. Action begins at 5 p.m.