The Long County Lady Blue Tide softball team’s season will continue at least one more week after they defeated the Baldwin Bravettes, sweeping them in the first round of the state playoffs Wednesday.
The Region 3-AAA champions and third-ranked team in the state jumped on the Bravettes early and never looked back, winning 16-0 and 17-0.
Freshman Sophia Brewster was nearly flawless in the circle for the Lady Tide as she mowed down the first 16 batters she faced in six innings across two games.
After striking out the side in the top of the first inning, Brewster led off the bottom of the first with a double. Courtesy runner Jordyn Marchand later scored on a dropped third strike. Jersi Lester’s double brought in another run and another passed ball allowed a third run to score. Maddi Brannen’s single made it 4-0.
Catherine Sikes led off the bottom of the second with a triple before Brewster brought her home on a single.
Mackenzie Crews doubled before Lester reached on an error to make the score 7-0. Hollan Clark tripled to score another run and Alyssa Skipper reached on another error to make it 9-0.
Brannen got her second RBI with a double and Sikes came up for the second time of the inning to score two runs on a double.
Brewster hit a two-run home run to make the score 14-0 and Lester added a two-run double to push the lead to 16-0.
Brewster threw three more strikeouts to bring the first game to an end.
The Tide were up to bat first as the away team in the second game and picked up right where they left off. Sikes singled and Brewster walked to set up Lana Lewis at the plate.
Sikes stole both second and third and eventually scored on a passed ball before Lewis doubled to bring home another run.
Lester reached to score another run and Skipper tripled to bring home two more runs. Brannen got a sacrifice RBI to make it 6-0 going into the bottom of the inning.
Brewster kept her flawless day going as she threw another three strikeouts in the bottom of the inning.
Crews brought in another run to make it 7-0, and another three strikeouts for Brewster brought the Tide back up to the plate in the top of the third.
Skipper singled and advanced to second on an error to open things up. Her twin sister Mallory reached on an error to set up Miley Maulden, who also reached on an error to make it 8-0.
Sikes singled to score another run before Brewster walked to load the bases. Lewis doubled to clear the bases, pushing the lead to 12-0.
Kinslee Harold singled to make it 13-0 and Hollie Filkins delivered a pinch-hit home run, the first of her career, over the right field wall to add two more runs.
Mallory Skipper scored another run on a single before Mackenzie Leming capped off the scoring with a pinch hit single for a 17-0 lead.
Brewster’s streak of strikeouts came to an end at 16 straight as she made an out on a ground ball back to the circle. She ended the game with her 17th strikeout of the day as the Tide move on to a 17-0 win.
Brewster’s 17-strikeout day brought her to 218 on the season, 16 shy of Harley Kennedy’s single season record of 234. She will get the chance to extend that record when the Lady Tide host Pickens in the second round of the state playoffs next week.
The Tide will look to advance to Columbus for the first time in team history with a win over the Dragons next week.