Lightning delayed the game three different times, but Long County endured and prevailed 6-1 over Harlem in a battle of two top 10 teams Thursday.

Lightning delayed the game start by 15 minutes. Lightning again delayed the game in the fourth inning. The teams had a third lightning delay in the top of the seventh.

Harlem got on the board first with a leadoff double and a run-scoring double in the top of the first inning.

Hollan Clark, in her first game coming off rehabilitating a summer injury, singled to lead off the bottom of the first. But Harlem stranded two Tide runners to keep the 1-0 lead.

In the second, the Tide loaded the bases on three walks. A wild pitch, and two more pitches that got past Harlem’s catcher, allowed those runners to score, and sophomore Sophia Brewster’s double put the Tide in front 4-1.

Long County pushed across another run in the third to go up 5-1. The second lightning delay stopped play for 30 minutes, but upon return to action, Brewster recorded a strikeout and sophomore catcher Mackenzie Crews threw out a runner at second base.

Sophomore Rilyn Williams brought in a run on a sacrifice fly to widen the Tide’s lead to 6-1 after five innings.

Brewster notched two more strikeouts, giving her four on the night, as the Tide held on to their 6-1 lead into the top of the seventh.

The lightning detector sounded again before a pitch was thrown in the seventh, delaying the game again. However, the downpour came and did not let up, leading to both teams making the decision to call the game and accept the 6-1 score as the final.

The Tide, who were coming off a 22-1 drubbing of Liberty County, moved to 9-1 on the season and 2-0 in region play.

The Tide were also the number one team in the GHSA’s AAAA post season rankings while the Bulldogs were ranked number eight.

Their tough non-region schedule continues on Monday, August 31 as they close out the first month of the school year with a road game against 6A power South Effingham.

The team will not suit up in Ludowici again until September 10 against another region foe, West Laurens.