Trinity bats break back, but can’t overcome Briarwood in back-and-forth battle

Trinity has had a tough time keeping up on the scoreboard this season with opponents who are averaging 13 runs a night, but its bats have seldom failed to put up a quality fight. 

The Crusaders, pounding out about 4.5 per game going the other way, have stayed in a number of those high-scoring affairs though their first win of the season has remained elusive even in the closest calls:  losses of three runs to Stratford Aug. 25 and two at Edmund Burke Sept. 14. 

An eight-hit effort in Thursday’s home rematch with Briarwood plated a season-high 10 runs as the sides traded some back-and-forth volleys of cannon fire. Both sustained multiple broadsides, but the Bucs got off a few more over the course six frames to sink Trinity’s chances, and win it 18-10. 

Four games remain in the Crusaders’ regular season. The next two, Monday against Gatewood and Tuesday vs. Edmund Burke, will finish up the home portion of their schedule. 

Briarwood put up between three and five in every inning except a scoreless second inning. Trinity’s biggest were a four-run second, to briefly grab the lead, and sixth, to go out with a bang – though a run short of what would have been needed to force a seventh. 

Liza Gay, who was 3-for-4 to lead all Crusaders at the plate, pulled a double inside the third base bag for a two-out spark after the Bucs opened with three in their half of the first. Eden Rowe followed by fitting one in down the right field line to drive her in and make it 3-1. 

Anna Hazel Preston made the catch in left for two of the three outs to keep the Bucs from adding in the second, before Trinity’s go-ahead surge in the lower half. 

Sara Beth Gay and Ella Kendrick both drew walks to lead off. One scored on a throwing error, the other on a Lyley Mills squeeze play, to tie the game. Chloe Rozier singled and Liza Gay picked up a second base hit to drive her home and put Trinity in the driver’s seat, up 5-3. 

But Briarwood brought in new pitcher Courtlyn Smith, and three of the remaining four innings were comparatively quiet. 

The Bucs quickly took back the lead with the help of hits by Whitley Rabun, Rebekah Grimaud and Chloe Brown in the third, and only extended it from there. 

Rowe, Kendrick and Preston had hits to produce a single Crusader run in the fifth, though Smith’s bases-loaded strikeout dashed hopes for more. 

A third Liza Gay hit, and RBIs by Sara Beth Gay and Preston highlighted the sixth-inning outburst to trim the deficit to eight. But a line drive that Thompson secured in right field brought the late rally to an end.

This week in softball… 

Region setbacks for East and West Laurens shook up the top tier of the region 2-AA and 3-AAAA softball standings this week. 

The Falcons (17-7, 9-1 region) suffered their first league loss, 5-3, to ACE Charter on Wednesday, but remain by themselves in first place courtesy of a head-to-head victory earlier this month over Vidalia. 

Their rematch set for Tuesday week, Oct. 6, and a home game against Bleckley County (still in striking distance at No. 3 with a record of 5-3) next Thursday, will determine the final course of the region race, after East bounced back with a 13-3 win at Dodge County the following day. 

The Raiders (16-7, 5-2) and co-region newcomer Harlem (last year’s champion in 4-AAA) both trailed unbeaten Long County coming into their Thursday rematch in Harlem. West Laurens, for a second-straight visit, had a close one get away 6-4. The result effectively clinches the region title for the Blue Tide (who are only twice-beaten overall, and 7-0 in league play), though they are scheduled to visit Dexter for both teams’ region finale on Tuesday. 

Dublin (8-14, 0-8 region 2-AA) has had a few close ones get away in its search for a region victory, but the Irish, after defeating Central Macon 6-2 and falling to Vidalia 15-1 earlier this week, remain in the AA playoff hunt from their spot at No. 44 in the GHSA Post Season Rankings, as of Friday. 

Region matchups against Bleckley, Swainsboro, Dodge and ACE still remain, along with three non-region matchups, with a win or two needed to boost their chances of advancing to the postseason.