The Long County Blue Tide softball team is firmly in position to make the state playoffs for the first time since 2018 and their win over Calvary Day on Wednesday, September 7 could further those chances.

After suffering their first region loss of the year to Savannah Christian on Tuesday, a 3-2 walkoff win, the Tide came back home on Wednesday to try to get back on track.

Jaci Smiley, who struck out the side in the top of the second inning, also got her team going at the plate as she hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning. She stole second and moved to third before Emma Smith scored her on a single to put the Tide up 1-0.

After Ciara O’Brien and Delanie Williams opened the bottom of the third with singles, Kyleigh Sizemore beat out a bunt to load the bases for Smiley. Her sacrifice fly made it 2-0.

Taylor Hodges’ bases-loaded double in the fourth brought in two runs, helping Long County take a 5-0 lead.

Calvary loaded the bases with no outs in their next at-bat, but Williams leaped to grab a line drive and turned it into a double play.

Calvary stayed hot again as they recorded four hits in the sixth and got one on the board to make the score 5-1.

A wild pitch allowed the Tide to make it 6-1, and Hodges’ double and Smiley’s triple helped make it 8-1.

Smiley also struck out seven.

With the win, the Tide move to 10-2 overall and 5-1 in the region. They will play in a midseason invitational tournament in Jeff Davis on Friday, September 9 against Telfair County and Lowndes.

They will be back home Tuesday, September 13 to host Liberty County in another region matchup.