If you have a chance to put a good team away, you better do it or it can come back to haunt you.
The Southeast Bulloch softball team couldn't hold onto a six-run lead earlier this month against Statesboro and ended up losing a one-run game in the top of the seventh.
Wednesday it was Deja Vu for the Jackets who held a comfortable lead over Pinewood, only to see the Patriots score three runs in the top of the seventh as the Jackets fell 6-5.
“I think we came out a little flat and we just made too many defensive errors to beat a good team like Pinewood,” said SEB coach Aimee Civalier. “We had a similar game this year against Statesboro and I thought we learned our lesson, but you have to take advantage of scoring chances and then you can’t be sloppy in the field.”
Southeast Bulloch took an early 3-0 as they loaded the bases and got two runs on a pair of fielder’s choices. Lauren Erickson then drove in the third run on an infield single.
The Jackets had a chance to add to their lead with runners on second and third in the bottom of the third but were unable to bring them home. That proved costly as in the top of the fourth the Patriots Ramsey Middleton launched a three-run homer to straightaway center tying the game at 3-3.
“I feel like after we scored those three runs, we got a little complacent,” Civalier said. “We also got a little too aggressive in the box swinging too early in the count. They have one of the better shortstops we have seen and we kept hitting her the ball. To her credit I don’t think she missed one throw.”
The Jackets added a run, as Jaidyn Sherrod singled home Megan Newham to give the Jackets a 4-3 lead. Victoria Barton followed that up by crushing a solo homer to left field, extending the Jacket lead to 5-3.
That score held up into the seventh when the Patriots started a rally. A leadoff triple by Libby Kate Blocker started things off. Blocker scored on a Yellow Jacket error to cut the lead to 5-4. Later with the bases loaded and one out Gracie Fox sent a grounder to short, Delanie Thames came up throwing home.
The throw was a little wide right and Newham was unable to snag it allowing both runners to score and the Patriots would hold on to win 6-5.
“That is a good, well coached ball team over there,” Civalier said. “It stings to lose a game I feel like we should have won, but this is not a region game and hopefully we can learn from this and take it into region play with us to not let it happen again.”
The Jackets fall to 11-6 on the season and next up travel to New Hampstead for a region meeting Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
