The Long County High School softball team trailed its Liberty County High School counterpart midway through Monday’s game when the comeback began.
Down by three runs in the fourth inning, the Blue Tide held on to beat Liberty, 9-4, on the Lady Panthers’ diamond.
Lady Panther Cathryn Carter, who started on the mound for Liberty, scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the first inning when she doubled to the center-field fence and later came home.
Liberty scored two more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-0 lead.
Lady Blue Tide coach Brian Thomas pulled his girls aside and told them to wipe the slate clean and start fresh as they started the top of the fourth inning. As if on cue, the Lady Blue Tide started connecting at the plate. Harley Dawson made a hit, advanced to third base and later scored as part of the comeback.
The Lady Tide tied the game, 3-all, and then Brittney Smiley had a two-run hit to give Long County a lead it never relinquished. The Blue Tide girls tacked on four more runs.
Emily Hester pitched for the Lady Tide, giving up one walk, striking out six batters and allowing seven hits.
Carter finished the game with the double, single and a walk. On the hill, she struck out six batters, walked one and gave up seven hits. Lady Panther Kaleigh Fisher had one hit and Meagan Folker hit a single.
Liberty coach Jerome Standard said his girls played well the first three innings and thinks they will continue to get better with each outing.
Long County was scheduled to play Tuesday at St. Vincent’s Academy and will travel to Claxton today for a game at 5 p.m.
Liberty will travel to the Glennville Recreation Department for five games this weekend in the Tattnall County Warriors’ Blast Tournament. The Panthers play Friday at 4 and 6 p.m. against Tattnall County and Wheeler High, respectively. On Saturday, Liberty starts play at 10 a.m. against Portal, takes on Jenkins County at
2 p.m. and New Hampstead at 4 p.m.