The Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets are used to having to wait a week or more between the end of the regular season, and the first round of the state playoffs. This year Region 3-AAA decided to hold a region tournament, giving the Jackets an opportunity for a couple more games to warm up for state. The Jackets didn’t get much a fight from the visiting Windsor Forest Knights Monday as they cruise into the championship after sweeping a doubleheader in Brooklet, winning game one 16-0, and game two 15-0.
“We knew that there would be a good chance for a lopsided score in the first round today,” said SEB coach Aimee Civalier. “Islands will come in here on Wednesday though, and we know they are a good team.”
The Jackets could have pretty much called their score in both games. In the opener they piled up 15 hits including three home runs, while pitcher Alana Barnard made quick work of the Knights at the plate with seven strikeouts in three innings, allowing no hits.
The Jackets went down one-two-three in the first, but got the bats going in the second. Makinley Fields started the scoring driving in Megan Lee from second on an RBI double for a 1-0 lead. The Jackets held a 3-0 lead when Delanie Thames doubled the score with a single swing of her bat. A three run homer to deep left gave the Jackets a 6-0 lead.
The onslaught continued as Alana Barnard came through with an inside the park home run on a drive to left center for an 8-0 lead. Maddie Grams capped the scoring in the inning with a three-run homer to left center for an 11-0 Yellow Jacket lead.
The Jackets picked up where they left off in the third. Thames brought in two more with a bloop single to center, that was followed by an RBI single to center by Gracie Burgin, and an RBI single by Barnard made it 14-0 and Lee capped things off with an RBI single for a 16-0 final.
“I felt like we really hit the ball well after a bad first inning,: Civalier said. “Alana pitched the ball great, and she really worked on her change-up, which she threw well.”
Game two played out very similar to game one, minus the home runs. The Jackets scratched through for their first three runs, thanks to some Windsor Forest errors. The floodgates then lifted starting with a two-run double to right by Olivia Horton to make it 5-0. Plenty of players making the most of their opportunities as Jaidyn Sherrod connected on an RBI double to left, followed by another RBI single for Thames to make it 7-0.
With the Jackets on top eight to nothing, they continued the hit parade in the second. Thames added to her RBU total with a two run single to left. A bases loaded single to left by Ava Kangster made it 14-0, and Fields capped the scoring with a two run single to second.
The Jackets improved to 20-6 on the season. Up next they will host Islands for the region championship on Wednesday. The best two out of three series starts at 4:00 in Brooklet. If the two teams split the championship game will be held Thursday.
“I think Wednesday should be a great atmosphere,” Civalier said. “Islands is no push over, and I hope our fans will come out for the game. We have really been hitting the ball well lately, and this team has speed and power. Our pitching has been solid all season, and I like our chances.”
