The Long County Blue Tide softball team have made one of the most improbable turnarounds from one season to the next. After going 4-15 and missing the state playoffs of the third year in a row in 2021, the team capped off their region season on Thursday by defeating Savannah Christian 11-7 and securing its first region championship in over 25 years.

Having split the first two games against the Raiders, the Lady Tide came into their final region game knowing it was a must win to secure the region championship and a home series in the state playoffs.

The team took a 2-1 lead early in the first inning but the Raiders stormed back to go up 3-2 in the bottom of the second.

The top of the fourth was where the Lady Tide really took over.

With one out and one on, the Tide tied the game at 3-3 on a Taylor Hodges single. She stole second and set up Kyleigh Sizemore with a chance to regain the lead.

Regain the lead they did, as Sizemore singled to bring Hodges home and make the score 4-3.

Jaci Smiley and Kassie Davis both reached to load the bases with two outs. Emma Smith then walked to make the score 5-3.

Ciara O’Brien doubled to score Smiley and Davis and push the Tide’s lead 7-3, which remained the score into the fifth.

Delanie Williams got on base in the top of the fifth and Sizemore pushed her to third on a double. Williams then stole home to make the score 8-3 before the Tide added another run to go up 9-3.

The Raiders added two runs in the fifth. The Lady Tide added two runs in the seventh to go up 11-5.

With the win, the Lady Tide move to 18-4 on the year and finish 11-1 in the region. They wrap up the regular season with a non-region game at Tattnall County on October 13.

They will host the “Ludowici Super Regional” from October 18-21. They will play Hephzibah in the first game of the state playoffs.