The 2024 softball season has flown by, and we are already in week 5 of play. The season is more than halfway over for the teams, but there is still much to do. The Bulloch county schools are looking to sharpen up their skills to prepare for the playoff push.
Statesboro
The Statesboro Blue Devils hosted a doubleheader against Glynn Academy Terrors on Tuesday. The Lady Devils would drop both games to the Terrors. Head coach Karry Parker talked about how she wanted to see her team improve on coming out of last week's action.
"Glynn really pressured us on the bases," Parker said. "We have been working on timing slowing the game down mentally, and knowing where to go with the ball based on the runners and ball speed."
Statesboro is slated to play South Effingham 3 times this week. The Statesboro girls will host South Effingham for 2 of the 3 games. Coach Parker says her team is as confidence as ever despite how the games against Glynn went. "These girls continue to compete." Parker said. "There is no quitting regardless of the outcomes. They believe in and support each other. It is so fun to coach this crew."
Statesboro currently has a 7-7 record with a 2-3 record in region play. With 7 of the last 9 remaining games being against region opponents, the Lady Devils can make up a lot of ground before the postseason.
Bulloch Academy
The Bulloch Academy Gators were on a 4 game winning streak before their loss to 8-4 Edmund Burke Academy on Tuesday. The Gators were able to quickly bounce back with a 10-2 win against Thomas Jefferson Academy on Thursday.
Head Coach Ashley Burke spoke on how the loss might do some good for her team in the long run. "The loss on Tuesday over at Edmund Burke showed us a couple things," Burke said. "It showed us that we have to show up everyday and compete, and it was also able to show us how to respond to a tough loss. Losses are never easy, but they can build and grow your team when they happen."
Bulloch Academy will play 2 games on the road this week. Tuesday, the Gators will face Pinewood Christian Academy and David Emanuel Academy on Wednesday. Pinewood is the first region game that the Gators have this season. "It will be a great game to evaluate where we stand," Burke said. "With Pinewood playing a lot of softball and being really competitive, it will be a great game for my girls to continue to get better and compete against a really good softball program."
The Lady Gators currently have a 9-2 record on the season.
Portal
The Portal Panthers took home their 3rd win of the season against McIntosh County Academy on Tuesday. The Panthers have had a rough stretch of games, but showed out against the Buccaneers. The Panthers took home a 16-0 win.
Assistant Coach Brantley Spence spoke on how their team has grown and developed over the course of the season. "The confidence is getting better," Spence said. "You can see it in the throws they're making, the plays that they are making and the way they are being more aggressive with the plays that they are trying to make."
The Lady Panthers will host the Screven County Gamecocks on Tuesday and will go on the road to face the Jenkins County War Eagles on Thursday.
Portal currently sits with a 3-5 record on the season.
Southeast Bulloch 
The Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets continued to roll and win games as they went undefeated in a very busy week. The Yellow Jackets defeated Long County, Screven County, and Jenkins in a week that saw them go 4-0.
Head Coach Aimee Civalier says that her team is focused and locked in for each game despite their record. "We are two-thirds through our regular season and we have put ourselves in a really good position," Civalier said. "We need to stay focused and continue to take one game at a time and not get ahead of ourselves."
Southeast Bulloch has a 17-1 record on the season with a 10-0 record in region play. Southeast Bulloch is currently ranked 1st in the GHSA Class 3A Postseason rankings.
