Lady Patriots Four Time Region Champs
By: Mrs. Sharon Rogers
The softball team at Pinewood Christian Academy can check defending their region title off the to do list. The Lady Patriots traveled to Dublin to compete against the Lady Trojans of Trinity Christian, Wednesday, Sept. 27th. The Lady Patriots had fallen to Lady Trojans the week before at home with a 3-2 loss making Wednesday’s game a must win situation for PCA.
The Patriots came out with guns blazing as Shelton Rogers hit a shot to centerfield to start the game off on the right foot. Rogers reached second base on a passed ball, and PCA had a runner in scoring position. Hanna Anderson hit a line drive passed Trinity’s shortstop to advance Rogers to third. Carleigh Bell got on base with a fielder’s choice bringing Anderson to the dugout, and Rogers was held up at third. Raegan Waters was up next and brought Rogers and Bell home with a bullet over the centerfielder’s head and the Patriots up two. Waters came through again as she pitched a three up three down inning to put PCA back at bat. Macy Pirkle started the bottom of the second inning with a double to the fence for the Lady Patriots. She was moved to third by a sacrifice bunt by Jordan Jernigan, and Claire Lewis came up with another big double scoring Pirkle. The Lady Trojans changed pitchers after Lewis’s hit and stopped the Lady Patriots rally. However, Waters would prove to be just as strong on the mound as the game then became a battle of the pitchers with Waters and the Lady Patriots on top winning the GISA Region 2AAA title with a score of 3-0.
The excitement for the victory became bitter sweet the following day as the Lady Patriot’s hosted Senior Day. This day was designed to honor the seniors and their accomplishments while being apart of the softball program at Pinewood.
The team saluted six outstanding athletes and their parents with a celebratory walk out on the field. LeAnne Whiten, Macy Pirkle, Hanna Anderson, Carleigh Bell, Shelton Rogers and Raegan Waters were in the spotlight as they took their senior walk. A Senior Day game followed against the Southeast Bulloch High School’s Lady Yellow Jackets. The emotions must have gotten the better of them as both teams would remain scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning when SEB put one run on the board. The Lady Patriots woke up as well and started a hitting spree that would bring everyone in the line up to the plate in the top of the sixth. Hanna Anderson started it off with a hit to left field, Raegan Waters would get on base as well. Ansley Howard was up next and a hit to centerfield loaded the bases for PCA. LeAnne Whiten hit a shot to score Anderson, and Macy Pirkle hits to load the bases once more for Pinewood. Jordan Jernigan hit a bomb to right field scoring Howard, Whiten, and Pirkle but was thrown out at second. Claire Lewis and Shelton Rogers would both touch first base for PCA before the inning was complete bringing the Senior Day game score 5-1 Pinewood. Raegan Waters was the winning pitcher. The Lady Patriots will host the first round of start play offs on Tuesday
