Lady Jackets struggle

By Editor | October 8, 2025 |

Last week got off to a great start for the Lady Jacket softball team with a big, 5-1 victory over region-leading Bacon County in Alma.
But from there, Coach Brooke Taylor’s charges dropped four straight games, including both ends of a double-header against Bacon Thursday in Hazlehurst. Thursday’s losses, coupled with Saturday’s road defeats to South Effinhham and Effingham County, left JD with a 17-9 overall record. They are tied for 3rd place in the region with a 12-6 mark.
Tuesday in Alma, senior pitcher Carrie Ellen Arnold had a 4-hit shutout, and a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the 6th when the Lady Raiders spoiled her shutout with a pair of doubles.
Madison Joyce led off the game at the plate and swatted a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for her 2nd homer of the year.
In the 3rd, with runners at 2nd and 3rd, Savanna Robinette singled in a pair of runs to make it 3-0.
Ryleigh Sellers opened the 4th with a single and Alara McCall pushed her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Mattie Walsh then singled and Madison Joyce drove in a run with a ground out to make it 4-0.
After Bacon scored in the 6th, Walsh opened the 7th with a double and scored on an error 2 outs later.
Walsh led the Lady Jackets’ 8-hit attack with 2 singles and a double, Joyce homered, Robinette singled and drove in 2 runs, Bohannon, Addison Giddens and Sellers each singled.
In Thursday’s first game, Jeff Davis trailed 5-2 entering the bottom of the 6th when JD scored 1 and then added 2 more in the 7th to send the game into extra innings. The Lady Raiders exploded for 5 runs in the top of the 8th and Jeff Davis had no answer.
Anna Grace Alligood started on the mound and gave up only 2 runs on 7 hits through 4 innings. Arnold took the mound in the 5th and Bacon teed off for 8 runs on 10 hits, including 6 hits in the fateful 8th inning.
The Lady Jackets missed a golden opportunity in the 6th with the bases loaded, 2 outs and Bacon on top 5-3. Bohannon hit a bullet to the mound, the ball careened off the pitcher and headed for foul territory on the 3rd base line. The ball hit McCall who was headed for home, the officials ruled her out and the inning ended with the score still 5-3.
Walsh, Bohannon and Cori Mims each had a pair of singles for JD, Robinette tripled and drove in a run, Giddens and Claire Stinson each doubled, Alara McCall singled in a run and Joyce drove in a run.
Thursday’s 2nd game was a seesaw affair with Jeff Davis taking a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the 1st, Bacon pulling away to an 8-4 lead, the Lady Jackets scoring 4 in the bottom of the 6th to tie the game, and Bacon using a lead-off homer in the 7th to pull out the win.
In the JD 1st, Bohannon hit a 2-run double and Stinson smashed a 2-run homer to put JD up 4-1.
In the 4-run 6th, Robinette had a 2-run doubled, Sellers drove in a run, and Walsh drove in a run as she reached on an error.
Bohannon had 2 singles, a double and 2 RBI, Stinson added a 2-run homer, Robinette had a double and 2 RBI, Joyce doubled, Mims and Walsh both singled, and Sellers added an RBI.
Alligood pitched 4 innings, giving up 6 runs on 12 hits walking none and striking out 2. Arnold suffered the loss in relief, giving up 1 earned run on 5 hits, walking 1 and striking out 1.
The Lady Jackets managed only 5 hits against South Effingham, with Mims getting a pair of singles, Giddens doubling, and Bohannon and Walsh each adding a single.
Alligood took the loss, she went 6 innings, giving up 9 runs on 9 hits, walking 3 and fanning 4.
Saturday’s second game was a heartbreaker as Jeff Davis led 6-5 entering the bottom of the 7th when Effingham County scored 2 to pull out the 7-6 win.
Stinson had the big bat, going 3-for-4 with a single, a double, a home run and 4 RBI. Robinette had 2 singles, a double and an RBI, Walsh and Bohannon both singled twice, and Joyce added a single.
Alligood started at pitcher and went 1 inning, She gave up 2 runs one 4 hits, walked none and struck out none. Arnold pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up 4 earned runs on 12 hits, walking none and striking out 3.
Score by innings:
JDHS 1 0 2 1 0 0 1 -5
BCHS 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 -1