When Abrah Harris stepped into the batter’s box in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday against the #1-ranked Robert Toombs Christian Academy Crusaders, the CCA Lady Patriots were trailing 7-6. Mattie Lewis and Cadence Cravey were on base; both had driven in a run apiece in the inning to get CCA to within one. Now it was Harris’s turn. She was 0-3 and due for something. And that’s all the Lady Patriots needed – something, anything, to get at least one more run across and keep their hopes alive.
Harris, however, had other plans. She wasn’t interested in just keeping her team’s hopes alive. She wanted to win the game on the spot. And that’s exactly what she did. Harris found a pitch she liked and drove a double into the left center gap, scoring both Lewis and Cravey to walk off the Crusaders 8-7.
This season, the Lady Patriots have had some easy games. This, however, wasn’t one of them. CCA had to scratch and claw their way through eight grueling innings in order to win their 11th game of the season.
Going into the bottom of the third, the Lady Patriots were down 2-0. They scored two to tie the game. Then Robert Toombs scored again in the fourth to go up 3-2. In the bottom of the fifth, CCA plated one to even the score again. In the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Patriots took the lead by one. Then the Crusaders tied it again in the top of the seventh. That sent the game into extra innings. Robert Toombs pushed three runs across in the top of the eighth to take what looked like a very comfortable 7-4 lead.
But the Lady Patriots weren’t done. The visiting team found its defense in trouble in the extra frame. Lewis drove in a run when she drew a walk. Cravey hit into a fielder’s choice, which also scored a run. Now CCA was down 7-6 with runners on and some newfound momentum. Then Harris delivered the knockout blow with a two-run double.
Emma Gourley and Gracie Giddens each had two hits for CCA. Gourley also drove in three. Giddens picked up the win, throwing 93 pitches in five innings of relief. Starter Emy Lowery went three innings before she handed the ball over to Giddens, who gave up three runs (two earned) on two hits. She struck out five and walked four.
CCA has two more games this week – at home against Pinewood Christian Academy (4 p.m.) Wednesday and on the road against Twiggs Academy (4 p.m.) Thursday.