The Gray Collegiate Academy softball team saw its season conclude after losing two straight to Mid-Carolina by scores of 5-4 and 4-2.

In the first game of the afternoon, Gray was the team that got off to the hot start. In the bottom of the first, Aspen Boulware led off the inning with a walk, stole second base and was moved to second by way of a Sheild Green sacrifice bunt. Na’Veah Matthews singled on a bunt the next at-bat and scored Boulware. Matthews advanced to second base on a ground out, stole third base and then stole home before a strikeout finally ended the inning with the War Eagles leading 2-0 after one.

Mid-Carolina finally got on the board in the top of the third inning with a two-run home run to right field from Amber Hughes to tie the game at two runs apiece. 

Gray managed to get a couple more runs on the board to go up 4-2, but a three-run sixth inning moved Mid-Carolina into the driver’s seat. Gray was unable to tack on any additional scores and fell 5-4.

Gray head coach Doug Frye singled out one defensive lapse in particular (that led to the go ahead run) as the play that haunts his team the most in the first game. 

“We threw a ball away from third to second. It was a routine play,” Frye said. “We threw it away and the doors fell off. And they got a big hit. The bases were loaded and the girl got a big hit. We had girls out here all night but just didn’t get the big hit. You gotta give them credit.”

In the second game, it became a pitchers' duel for most of the night between Hughes from Mid-Carolina and Maddox Long from Gray.

The game was scoreless through the first three innings but in the top of the fourth, Mid-Carolina broke through. A lead-off double off the center field wall provided a big boost and allowed Mid-Carolina to attempt a bunt with no outs. The bunt was successful as it moved the runner to third while also being a good enough bunt to get an additional runner on first. 

With the bases loaded and with no outs, Mid-Carolina scored on a sacrifice fly to left center field. Gray managed to get out of the inning while only giving up one run during that jam. 

Gray fell further behind in the top of the sixth inning when Mid-Carolina loaded up the bases once again. This time, they cleared the bases with a three-run RBI double. Mid-Carolina now led 4-0 with only an inning and a half left to play.

Gray finally got on the board with a home run from Long followed by a double from Taylor Corley, who was eventually brought home by a Madison Knapper double.

The War Eagles left the sixth inning cutting the deficit in half, 4-2. After not giving up any more runs in the top of the seventh, Gray had one last chance to save the season at the plate. Aspen Boulware made it around to third base, but a strikeout with two outs proved to be the final play as Mid-Carolina punched its ticket to the 2A State Championship series.

“I felt like they wanted it more than we did,” Coach Frye said after the second game. “They fought hard and you have to give them credit. We had people on base and left them out there, we made an error here and there. Just can’t do that.”

Gray’s season ends with a 20-8 record and a Region IV-2A title.