The GHSA softball regular season is soon coming to an end, and many area teams are gearing up for the playoffs. Before the season begins, every coach hopes to advance to the playoffs and have their team playing their best ball as they move into the post season. One way to help prepare their team is to schedule strong teams at the back end the schedule. In this last week’s action, Swainsboro matched up against some solid teams playing their best ball of the season.
On Thursday October 2, Swainsboro hit the highway for their fifth away game in a row. The trip took the Lady Tigers to Lyons for a region match-up against the Toombs County Bulldogs. Toombs County came into the game with a 15-6 record, riding an eight-game winning streak. Swainsboro entered the day with a 12-7 record.
The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard early when they put up three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Swainsboro didn’t answer back until the top of the fifth inning when they put up three runs of their own to tie the score at 3-3. In the inning, the Lady Tigers capitalized on a couple of Bulldog errors and then tied up the game on a Lily Hudson RBI single. The sixth and seventh innings featured more solid pitching and a number of defensive web gems by both squads. Ultimately, the extra inning heartbreaker was decided in the bottom of the eighth inning when Bulldog Taylor Bland came to the plate and drove a pitch down the right field line. Swainsboro right fielder Gracie Benetueau raced over to the line and laid out in an attempt to make a diving catch, but the ball was just out of reach and rolled into the right field corner for an inside the park walk-off home run. Mylie Beneteau, Gracie Beneteau, Sara Smith, and Lily Hudson led the Lady Tiger offense while pitcher Chloe Boulineau went the distance in the circle. Boulineau allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks over seven and one-third innings pitched. She also collected nine strikeouts in the 4-3 loss.
On Friday afternoon Swainsboro hosted the Bleckley County Royals. The crew from Cochran rolled into town with a 16-5 record looking to extend their seven-game winning streak. The Lady Tigers came out flat and trailed early in the game, eventually falling to the Royals by a score of 6-2. Pitcher Sidney Lively came on in relief and pitched well for the Lady Tigers. The freshman hurler scattered six hits and gave up three runs (two earned) over five and one-third innings, but the Swainsboro offense was just never able to get anything going. AC Murphy, Lily Hudson, Gracie Beneteau, Kaybreigh Hostilo, and Carley Jersey picked up hits for the Lady Tigers.
On Monday October 6, Swainsboro traveled to Johnson for a non-region game. Just last week, Johnson County secured the Class 1A D-II Region 5 championship with a 7-1 region record. It was also senior night at Johnson County, but the Lady Tigers looked to stay focused on the game itself and get back on a winning track. Mylie Beneteau drew a walk to lead off the game for Swainsboro and later scored on an error to put the Lady Tigers on the scoreboard in the first inning. Swainsboro added single runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings to take a 4-0 lead. Pitcher Chloe Boulineau bounced back with one of her best outings of the year allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks. Boulineau also struck out 15 Trojans as she led her team to the 4-2 win. Boulineau, AC Murphy, Sara Smith, Lily Hudson, and Gracie Beneteau all had hits for the Lady Tigers in the game.
The Lady Tigers will wrap up the regular season with upcoming home games against Dublin on Wednesday October 8 at 5:30 p.m. (Senior Night) and Vidalia on Thursday October 9 at 6 p.m.
The first round of the GHSA Class 1A D-1 state playoffs is scheduled for October 15 & 16. The bracket, including matchups and locations, should be available soon after regular season play ends on Friday October 10.
