After playing their first full game and falling 3-2 to Appling County on Wednesday, August 11, the Lady Blue Tide softball team took the diamond at home for the first time this year to face off against the McIntosh County Academy Lady Buccaneers on Thursday, August 12 and never looked back from a quick start.
The Lady Tide saw their first three games of the season cut short due to rain, but they did not let that stop from dominating in their first home showing. The top of the first saw pitcher Jaci Smiley get things done herself, sitting down three straight Lady Bucs with strikeouts.
The bottom of the first is where things got ugly early. The Tide batted around the lineup and put five runs on the board before getting their first hit of the game with the first seven batters getting on base due to walks, being hit by pitches, and an error.
Denihai Richardson started her team’s hitting with a single RBI, which was followed up by RBI singles by Taylor Hodges and Smiley. Mehana Naki took the plate and cleared the bases with a stand-up double, before advancing to third on a throwing error, to give her team an 11-0 lead.
Kyleigh Sizemore batted Richardson home and the Lady Bucs finally got an out thanks to a sacrifice RBI by Lanie Williams. The damage was done, however, as the Lady Tide led 13-0 at the end of the first inning.
The Lady Tide hit the cruise control as Smiley sat down the next three batters with strikeouts. Ciara O’Brien took to the plate to pinch hit and walked before being brought home by Brooklyn Smith on a double. Smith scored two batters later thanks to a passed ball at the plate to give her team a 15-0 lead.
The Tide only needed to sit down three more batters to secure the mercy rule win. Smiley did her job by striking out the first two batters, but a fielding error broke up her runnerless effort on the final batter of the Lady Bucs’ lineup.
The Tide moved on to the dominant showing to move to 1-1 on the season. They faced off against Calvary Day on Friday, August 13 and will host Pierce County in another big region game on Tuesday, August 17.
