Another week of softball has come and gone for the Bulloch county schools. Two of the schools are ranked 2nd in the state in their respective division rankings.
Statesboro Blue Devils
The Lady Devils from Statesboro High were matched up with the Brunswick Pirates for a week-long series. On Tuesday, Statesboro rode down tp Brunswick for a doubleheader. The first game of the doubleheader went to the Pirates. Statesboro got down late and their comeback effort fell short in a 5-4 loss. The Blue Devils responded immediately by winning the second game of the doubleheader 8-3.
The series finale took place on Thursday, August 29th. The Blue Devils routed the Pirates 14-0. Almost every starter scored a run. The game was highlighted by a 2-run homer by Kate Yawn. Head Coach Karry Parker said that Friday's game might have been the most complete game her team has played all season.
This upcoming week, the Blue Devils are scheduled to have a week full of tough matchups. They will play 3 games in just as many days. The week starts on Tuesday when the Blue Devils go on the road to take on the Effingham County Rebels. Next, Statesboro will host the Screven County Gamecocks on Wednesday. The Gamecocks are 7-1 on the year. The week ends with a matchup with the Pinewood Christian Patriots. The Blue Devils faced off with the Patriots to open the season and lost 12-6.
"They are all very good teams," Parker said. "Small goals for each game, we just got to stay focused."
Statesboro goes into the week with a 5-4 record.
Bulloch Academy Gators
The Gators were scheduled to play 2 games last week, but the anticipated matchup with First Presbyterian Day was rescheduled to a later date.
In the one game that the Gators played, they defeated the Claxton Tigers 4-1. Defense was the key in Bulloch Academy's win. They were able to hold their opponents scoreless for more than half of the game. The Gators were able to string together hits when it mattered most to come away with the victory.
Head Coach Ashley Burke liked what she saw from her team late in that game. "Taking that 5th inning, scoring a couple runs and then playing 2 solid innings of defense shows a lot about them and how they can stick through it," Burke said.
The Gators have another light week ahead of them as they will only play 1 game. On Tuesday September 3rd, Bulloch Academy will host David Emanuel Academy.
Bulloch Academy currently has a 7-1 record on the season. They are currently ranked 2nd in the state for the GIAA Class AAAA division.
Portal Panthers
The Panthers entered the week with a 2-2 record. They had to play 2 of the top teams in their region. The week didn't go how Portal wanted, as they lost both games played last week. Portal took on Emanuel County Institute on Tuesday and lost 12-0. Thursday, the Panthers lost 10-0 to Bryan County.
The Panthers are a very young team and have shown some bright spots despite the recent losses that they have taken. With every inning, the team learns more and more about each other and how to compete.
The Panthers will look to get back on track as they will host 3 games this week. On Wednesday, they will host Metter. On Friday, Portal will have a doubleheader against 2 different opponents. They will take on Swainsboro at noon and Mitchell County after that game concludes.
After facing 2 teams that are at the top of their region, the Lady Panthers will try and take what they learned from those games and apply it to the future.
Portal currently has a 2-4 record on the season.
Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets played 4 games last week and had their first taste of defeat. On Monday August 26th, Southeast Bulloch fell to Wayne County 9-2. The Yellow Jackets bounced back with a blowout victory over Jenkins on Tuesday. They closed the week out with 2 wins against Liberty County in a doubleheader on Thursday.
SEB will host 2 region opponents this week. They will host the Islands Sharks on Tuesday, September 3rd and Calvary Day on Thursday, September 5th.
The Yellow Jackets currently have an 11-1 record on the year with a 5-0 record in region play. The Yellow Jackets are currently ranked 2nd in the state for the AAA division.