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BACONTON, GA – After earning a split on Friday in its first two games of the season at the Baconton Charter Tournament in Baconton, GA, the Southland Academy Softball Team (SAR) dropped its final two games of the tournament. They went down to defeat against First Presbyterian Day School (FPD) by the score of 8-0 and fell to Brookstone (BKS) by the score of 13-0 on Saturday, August 5.

“We faced two quality pitchers today and two quality teams. They (FPD and BKS) did a really good job of putting the bat on the ball. They did a good job of running the bases and swinging the sticks,” SAR Head Coach Blaze Hargrove said.

In their first game against FPD, the Raiders fell behind early in the top of the first inning when FPD shortstop Addison Arnold belted a solo home run. That home run set the tone for the rest of the game, as the Vikings would later score three runs on three hits in the top of the third, including another solo home run by Arnold.

FPD would later add a run in fifth and three more insurance runs in the seventh to secure its 8-0 victory over the Raiders.

In total, the Vikings scored eight runs on six hits and committed one error, while the Raiders went scoreless with only four hits and committed five errors.

Gracie Wilson, Gracie Usher, Landry Hart and Sara Kate KcRee were the only Raiders to earn hits in this ball game.

Ila Johnson took the loss for SAR, as she gave up four runs on four hits and walked one batter in three innings of work. Riley McRee came on in relief of Johnson and pitched two scoreless innings, giving up only one hit with a walk and two strikeouts.

Camille Cochran pitched the final two innings of the game and gave up two runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

In their second game against the Cougars of Brookstone, the Raiders didn’t fare much better, as the Cougars scored three runs on one hit and were aided by four walks. Then in the bottom of the second, the Cougars exploded with eight runs on nine hits to take an 11-0 lead.

Then in the bottom of the third, BKS scored two more runs on two hits and were aided by a walk and two errors. In the top of the fourth, the Raiders tried to put runs on the board, but BKS starting pitcher Graycen Jordan got Avery Ledger to ground out to third and struck out both Cadence Dockery and Mary Katherine Saratsiotis to end the game.

Adler Rae Owens was the only Raider to notch a hit off of Jordan. Jordan pitched four scoreless innings for the Cougars, giving up only one hit with a walk and six strikeouts.

“In the first game, we held in there for a little bit with FPD, but we had another big inning where walks and errors caught up with us,” Hargrove said. “In that second game, it was just kind of a bad all around outing. We didn’t do any of the little things right that it takes to win a ball game, but I’m still excited about the season. The season is not won or lost in the first weekend. We’ve got some things that are easily fixable and I’m still super excited about where we’re at. I think we’re still going to have a good season,” Hargrove continued.

The Raiders (1-3) will try to get themselves back into the win column when they travel up to Macon to take on Mount de Sales Academy on Thursday, August 10. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.