After a stellar performance last Saturday in its invitational tournament, the ACGC softball team struggled against West Central Valley last night in a game played in Stuart. The Chargers fell behind early, giving up four runs in the first inning and two more in the second frame to find themselves trailing 6-0.

There was a time when the team would have lost confidence and not be able to come back from a 6-0 deficit. But the Chargers are a more confident bunch now, and managed to stage a comeback to secure a 9-8 win.

In the Chargers' third at bat they scored three runs when Kennedy Young got on by a fielder's choice and Savana Fuller and Jorja Hoover both singled. With the bases loaded, freshman Kylie Young hit a double that drove in three runs to narrow the deficit to 6-3.

A big fourth inning in which the Chargers scored six runs put the locals up by a 9-6 margin. A combination of walks and solid hitting by ACGC accounted for the six runs put up on the board. The Chargers had five hits in the inning, with Sierra O'Brien, Reese Coffman, Fuller, Kylie Young, and Madelyn Kelsey all reaching safely via base hits. Young hit a two run single to give her five RBI on the day.

Single runs scored by West Central Valley in the fourth and sixth innings brought the Wildcats to within 9-8 headed into their last at bat. WCV managed to get one player on the base paths, but Fuller ended the threat with a strikeout to end the game, and Charger fans could breath a sigh of relief. It wasn't the team's "finest hour", but it did demonstrate that they could come from behind and do what had to be done to secure the win.

The Chargers had thirteen hits on the day, with Kylie Young and O'Brien each accounting for three of the total. Two of O'Brien's hits were doubles. Fuller and Hoover each added two hits. Fuller pitched a complete game, giving up thirteen hits, striking out three, and walking two batters. Seven of the eight WCV runs were earned.

Last night's win improves the team's season record to 8-9 (4-6 WCAC). The Chargers are scheduled to host league leading Van Meter tonight. A junior varsity game is scheduled for 5:30, with the varsity to follow.

Line Score:

ACGC 003 600 0--9 13 2

WCV 420 101 0--8 13 2

Charger Box Score:

AB . R . H . RBI

SFuller 4 2 2 0

Hoover 5 2 2 1

KyYoung 4 1 3 5

Kelsey 5 0 1 1

Hoing 2 0 0 0

O'Brien 4 1 3 0

Carrick 3 1 1 0

Coffman 3 1 1 1

KeYoung 4 1 0 0

TFuller 0 0 0 0