REIDSVILLE, GA -- Despite knowing it would be their final game of the 2021 season, the Long County Lady Blue Tide softball team, they showed their fight in the finale against Tattnall County on Tuesday, Oct. 5. 

Junior Rebecca Lust took the mound for the Lady Tide and allowed just one hit in the top of the first. 

This allowed her team to make a move in the bottom of the opening inning. 

Junior Taylor Hodges walked and was moved to second on a single by fellow junior Jaci Smiley. 

Senior Mehana Naki scored Hodges on a single of her own and Lanie Williams put the second run on the board with a sacrifice RBI. 

The score remained the same through the second, but the Warriors were able to build some defensive momentum in the bottom of the inning by sitting down all three Tide batters. 

It was Tattnall’s turn to put some runs on the board as they were able to score on an error at second and then load the bases on a walk. 

With no outs on the board, Lust had to work some magic to get out of the inning. 

They were able to get one out at second base, but that allowed a run to score to tie the game. 

Lust then showed why she should be a good part of the Tide team next year with a strikeout and fighting through a long at-bat to get the final out without much damage by the Warriors. 

The Warriors again sat down three straight batters in the bottom of the inning to keep the score tied. 

In fact, between the Tide and Warriors, 18 batters came up to the plate without getting on base through the fourth inning. 

The fourth inning saw Lust make an impressive play as she caught a hard hit line drive headed straight for her head for the final out. 

Lust then broke the hitless streak in the bottom of the fifth as she smacked a single and stole a base to get on second. 

However, the Lady Tide could not take advantage of their situation as the score remained tied going into the sixth. 

The sixth inning was quite possibly the most exciting as the Warriors got back-to-back doubles to break their hitless streak and take the 3-2 lead. 

They added another to make the score 4-2. 

Hodges hit a leadoff single in the sixth and was scored by Williams’ second RBI of the game to make the score 4-3. 

However, that is where the scoring ended for the Tide as they went into the seventh and final inning. 

The Warriors opened up their best offensive inning of the game. 

They were able to put a run on the board on a double, another on an error in right field, and finally closed out their scoring with a two-run shot over the right field wall, the first home run hit against the Tide at home this season. 

That brought the final score to 8-3 in favor of the Warriors, but the Tide continued to show heart and fight in the loss. 

The team finish 4-15 will look forward to next season and with only losing three seniors it should be an exciting year.