Softball: Dragons close tourney with offensive surge

THE JEFFERSON offense arrived late at the Hawk-Bulldog tournament, but when it did, it came in droves.

The Dragon softball team scored a combined 17 runs Saturday to grab two wins and finish with a 2-2 mark in the event.

“A lot of it came late in the game, too, which is good,” Jefferson coach Zach Black said. “We kept battling the whole time and finally the hits came. We kind of stretched some things together, which was good to see.”

Jefferson (3-4, 1-0) returned to region play Tuesday at Elbert County but results weren’t available at press time.

Batting back from an 0-2 tournament start, the Dragons scored five runs in the fifth inning and four runs in the sixth inning to beat First Presbyterian Day 9-3 early Saturday afternoon.

Jefferson then put up a six spot in the sixth inning to beat Apalachee 8-4 later that day. Up 2-1 to start the pivotal inning, the Dragons got a RBI single from Arynn Baker, a bases-clearing three-run triple from Olivia Husted, a run off of a groundout from Meagan Faulkner and an RBI double from Emily Holman as Jefferson defeated the Class AAAAA school. Jefferson opened tournament play with losses to South Forsyth (4-3) and Mill Creek (2-1) last Wednesday before finishing with two more games on Saturday.

“Playing two games in one day, if we’re fortunate enough to make to the playoffs down the line, then you play a doubleheader the first day, two games,” Black said. “So it gets you prepared for that early on. So it’s good to get out here and play good competition to see where we are.”

Black praised his team’s grit in the tournament.

“I know they’re dog tired by now,” Black said following the team’s win over Apalachee. “We played a lot of games, and they just kept plugging away and stayed together, and I was really proud of them.”