By David Harbin
Decatur Varsity Softball Continues Winning Streak with Epic Region Victory over Dunwoody!
Decatur: 9 | Dunwoody: 8
It came down to the wire on Wednesday at Oakhurst Park as the Decatur Varsity Bulldogs grabbed the victory in walk-off fashion, 9-8, over Dunwoody. The game went into multiple extra innings and was tied at eight in the bottom of the tenth when Sophomore Elizabeth Brown singled on a bunt, scoring Senior Peri Jeffers for the thrilling win!
After Dunwoody scored five runs to take the lead 8-3 in the top of the ninth, Decatur raced back to score five runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning. Key at-bats by Freshman Reny Stephenson, Sophomore Berkley Cade, and Senior Mia Frederick tied the game and pushed it to the tenth inning. Dunwoody failed to score in the top of the tenth before Decatur's heroics in the bottom half of that inning.
The Bulldogs tallied 19 hits in the game, led by Senior Mary Huey with four hits. Senior Ava Bearden hit a towering 2-run HR in the 3rd inning. Cade, Stephenson, and Bearden each drove two runs for Decatur. Brown, Jeffers, and Frederick each collected multiple hits for the team.
Sophomore Anna Schuffenhauer started at pitcher for Decatur, going eight and one-third innings, striking out seven and walking four. Senior Kate Dickinson came in relief in the ninth inning to pick up the victory.