PORTAL — A benefit supporting the Portal Middle/High School track and field programs will take place Saturday, Oct. 1.
    Cost to register is $15, and those who register before Sept. 16 will receive a free T-shirt.
    For more information, visit http://pmhs.bulloch.k12.us,  the main office on campus or call (912) 842-8360.

Lady Jackets fall to SCPS
    SAVANNAH — The Savannah Christian Lady Raiders defeated Southeast Bulloch (10-3, 3-2 Region 3A-AA) 7-1 Wednesday in Savannah,
    Nira Byrd (2-for-3) scored the lone SEB run, and Dallas McClellan went 2-for-3 as well.
    Effie Manahan went 1-for-3.
    Southeast Bulloch returns to region play Tuesday in Augusta against Laney.

JV Gators nip Trinity
    Bulloch Academy built a 6-0 lead but had to fend off the hard-charging Trinity Crusaders to capture a 9-8 win in junior varsity softball action Tuesday.
    Ansley Daughtry was the winning pitcher for Bulloch.
    Hannah Dasher led the offense, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored. Koree Jacobs was 2-for-2.
    The Gator girls scored three run in the second inning and three more in the third for the 6-0 advantage. Trinity added a single run in the top of the fourth but Bulloch added three more in the bottom of the inning for a 9-1 lead.
    The Lady Crusaders scored five in the fifth and two in the sixth.
    Bulloch hosts Robert Toombs Christian Academy Monday at 5:30 p.m.

BA XC boys close to perfect
    TWIN CITY — The Bulloch Academy varsity boys’ cross country team came close to achieving a perfect score Tuesday at a three-team meet at George L. Smith State Park.
Freshman Will Marsh led the Gators, taking second place in the 28-runner race. He crossed the line with a time of 21:31 on the 3.2-mile loop.
    Freshman Cody Lanier was third (22:01), senior Hunter Jacobs was fourth (22:03), senior Themba Twala was sixth (22:42) and sophomore Christopher Williams was seventh (23:18). The team notched a total score of 22 in the 28-runner race. A perfect score in cross country is 15.
In the 14-runner girls’ race, senior Maddie Manack took second with a time of 26:20. Freshman Heather Jacobs was third (26:30)
    The Bulloch Academy boys’ junior varsity squad beat Edmund Burke Academy in the 1.6-mile race. Aaron Feldman finished second (13:32) while Kyle Samuels took third (13:54). James Nevil was fifth (14:57), Bennon Smith was seventh (16:00), Brett Thomas was eighth (16:11) and Trent Self was ninth (16:40).
    In the 14-girl JV race, Abby Morgan was seventh (17:54).
Bulloch Academy goes back to the trails at George L. Smith State Park on Tuesday.

Mercer names new softball coach
    MACON — Mercer director of athletics Jim Cole has announced that former Louisiana State University associate head coach James DeFeo has been named as Mercer University’s new softball head coach. DeFeo is the sixth head coach in program history and replaces Mike Raynor, who resigned in August (after five seasons at the Bears’ helm) for personal reasons.
    DeFeo brings a strong and successful softball background to what will be his first stint as a collegiate head coach. Overall as a college coach, DeFeo has been a part of more than 600 victories, five conference championships, 12 trips to the NCAA tournament and four Women’s College World Series berths. None of the college programs where he has been on staff have ever suffered a losing season.

BA girls gets 10th win
    Bulloch Academy won its 10th game of the season at the hands of arch-rival and Region 4-AAA foe Trinity Christian School Tuesday.
    The Lady Gators managed only three hits but took advantage of six Lady Crusaders errors and waited out timely four walks to take a 6-3 victory in BA’s region opener.
    Junior Lauren Dennard scattered seven hits through seven innings for the win. She also had five strikeouts.
    Trinity took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first but the Lady Gators halved it in the bottom of the inning. Senior Taylor Collins blasted a double, took third on a passed ball and scored to cut the TCS lead to 2-1.
    Bulloch knotted the score in the third and took the lead in the fourth on single runs in both innings.
    Trinity added a single run in the top of the sixth to knot the score at 3-3. But the Lady Gators scored three in bottom of the inning for a 6-3 lead.
    In the inning, Dennard and eighth grader Hannah Dasher singled, freshmen Page Spence and Ashley Burke walked, sophomore Ashlee Lanier hustled out a dropped third strike and Collins reached on an error.
    Bulloch (10-2, 0-1) travels to Milledgeville Thursday to take on region foe John Milledge Academy.

Elementary Gators blast TJA
     Quarterback Don Aaron scored two touchdowns to lead Bulloch Academy to a 28-6 victory over Thomas Jefferson Academy in elementary-school football action Tuesday.
    Aaron scored on runs of 60 and 50 yards and also plunged over for a two-point conversion. He scored the first touchdown of the game on a 70-yard run but it was called back.
    Jake Nelson added a 65-yard scamper and Jonathan Beecher ripped off a 60-yard jaunt. Nelson also had a two-point conversion.
    On defense, Will Aaron, Don Aaron, Beecher and Nelson helped limit the Jaguar Junior Pro team to one score.
    Bulloch Academy travels to Waynesboro next Tuesday to battle Edmund Burke Academy at 6 p.m.