The Long County Lady Blue Tide softball team is just two region wins away from securing the region championship for the second time in team history. They got to that result after cruising past Liberty County 13-1 on Tuesday, September 23.

The Tide honored Long County teachers with players being escorted to the field during starting lineup introductions. The players chose their teacher who escorted them.

Catherine Sikes and Lana Lewis both singled to open the bottom half of the inning before Mackenzie Crews drove them both home on a triple. Hollan Clark brought home Crews on a double.

Alyssa Skipper capped off the inning with a single for a 4-0 lead.

The Panthers got on board after two singles in the top of the second, but Sophia Brewster struck out two to get out of the inning relatively unscathed.

The Tide bats got hot again in the bottom of the inning as Miley Maulden led off with a single before Sikes scored her on a double. Lewis scored Sikes to make the score 6-1.

Brewster and Crews both singled, putting two on with one out. Clark got another RBI to make the score 7-1 before Jersi Lester tripled to deep right field to make it 9-1.

Brewster threw her fourth and fifth strikeouts of the game before the Tide added three more runs in the third. After Sikes singled and Lewis walked, Sikes scored on a throw to second, and Crews doubled to plate Lewis.

The Tide added one more on an error as they led 12-1 going into the fourth. Brewster ended her day with seven strikeouts as the Tide needed one more run to put away the Panthers.

They got it after Sikes’ single with two runners on brought in her second RBI of the game. The Tide moved to 19-3 overall and 11-0 in region play.

Their first chance to clinch the region title will be Tuesday, September 30 on the road against Calvary Day before they return home to take on the Islands Sharks on Thursday, October 2.