Habersham Central’s softball team earned a split with region opponent Lanier on Tuesday evening.
The Lady Raiders lost the first game 4-1 before bouncing back with an 8-4 win in the nightcap of the doubleheader.
Hannah Odum drove in the lone run for the Lady Raiders (9-9, 6-4 region). Joni Littlejohn, Odum, Jayden Thomas, Emma Forester, Bailey Barfield, Emily Diffenderfer, and Ella Diffenderfer each collected one hit.
“It was a tough loss in the first game. Errors and runners left on base were a killer and led to us defeating ourselves,” Lady Raiders coach Karly Thompson said. “Emma Forester pitched well enough for us to win game one but we weren’t able to back her up.”
In the late game, the Lady Raiders came right out of the gate and earned a 4-0 lead in the first two innings.
Shelby Rinefierd drove in a run in the first inning, and Ella Diffenderfer double the advantage with an RBI single after a double by Charli Barbour. Jayden Thomas drove in two with a double to make it a big inning for the Lady Raiders.
They put up another crooked number in the fifth when Emily Diffenderfer and Barbour added RBI singles, followed by a two-run double by Littlejohn.
“We made the adjustments offensively in the second game and that was a key to our success,” Thompson said. “Hannah Odum pitched great for us in game two and our defense backed her up. I was proud to see our team bounce back strong despite the loss in game one.”
Habersham entered play Thursday a game behind second place in the region and just a half-game ahead of fourth.
The Lady Raiders traveled to take on Shiloh – a team they swept at home – after press time Thursday.
The Lady Raiders play in the Morgan County Tournament this weekend before coming home to host Jackson County in a key region doubleheader on Tuesday.
– Staff reports