The Bulloch Academy Gators' softball team defeated the Edmund Burke Academy Spartans 7-3 at home on Wednesday, August 21st.
Both teams walked into Wednesday afternoon's game with a 4-1 record. The Gators were able to surge late to bring home their 5th win on the season.
The Lady Gators brought the thunder before heavy rain came through and put the game to a halt.
Entering the 6th inning, the Gators and Spartans were tied up at 1. The Gators had 2 outs when they thought they had singled into a second run. However, the run was called back and ruled a ground ball. After much dispute with the umpire, play resumed. The Lady Gators started to press the issue when Maralyne Belcher made an extra effort to get from 1st to 3rd on what should have been a single by Kaylee Cardell. Belcher would score off of a wild pitch.
Belcher's run would start a barrage of hits and runs for the Lady Gators that included a triple by Mia Harris to put even more points on the board. Hope McCormick also tripled during the 6th inning.
Head Coach Ashley Burke was happy to see her team rally despite the questionable call on the foul ball. "I tell them control what you can control, and I'll have their back 100%," Burke said. "When it comes to something that might set us back, they don't let it."
At the bottom of the 4th, the score was still knotted up at 0 a piece. Kaylee Cardell got onto base with a double followed up by another double from McKenna Furnari. Cardell would score to put the Gators up 1-0 in the 4th.
Bulloch Academy's Mckenna Furnari faced off against Edmund Burke's Kensey Felix in Wednesday's matchup. Both pitchers and defenses did a great job of holding their opponents to 0 through the first 3 innings. Bulloch Academy's Rylie Ann Claxton made a diving effort to field a ground ball before sending a laser to first base to throw the hitter out in the 3rd inning.
The Lady Gators will have no time to rest before they go on the road to take on Robert Toombs Christian Academy Thursday. "It''s tough playing back to back," Burke said. "It really shows how much they work and really wanting to get out there and play and win. You tell them to just keep going that's all you can do."
Bulloch Academy improves their record to 5-1 on the season. Communicate, encourage, and compete are the three keys that Coach Burke has preached to her team.
"If they do those three, they can win any game that they compete," Burke said.
