ACGC's Savana Fuller and Grand View Christian's Emma Heffron were locked in a 1-0 pitchers' dual for six inning last night, with the Thunder scoring the lone run in the first inning. Both pitchers were backed up by solid defenses and it appeared that the 1-0 score might be the final score.

And then the rains came. The game changed completely. Pitchers and fielders alike had difficulty handling the wet softball and the two teams put a total of eleven runs on the scoreboard in the seventh inning.

The Thunder scored five runs in its seventh inning at bat to go up by a 6-0 score. Heffron provided the big blow with a three run home run. Down by that 6-0 score, the Chargers were not about to give up and scored six runs of their own to tie the game at 6-6.

The rally came with two outs and two strikes on Savana Fuller with sister Tori on first base after drawing a walk. Savana got on with an infield hit. Jorja Hoover then was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mady Kelsey came through with a single to drive in the Fuller sisters, making the score 6-2. Kylie Young then drew a walk to load the bases once again. Sierra O'Brien was then hit by a pitch and Genevieve Hoover drew a walk to drive in two more runs, narrowing the gap to 6-4. Jayden Carrick then drove a single up the middle to drive in two more runs to knot the score at 6-6. All that with two outs and two strikes on Savana Fuller before she got that infield hit! A truly remarkable inning for the Chargers.

The game returned to the pitchers' dual in the eighth and ninth innings as neither team was able to score. GVC tallied a run in the top of the tenth on a double, a sacrifice bunt, and a Charger error to go up 7-6. With one out in the bottom of the inning, Savana Fuller drove a ball into the gap in right-center field. As she came into third base with a triple, the Thunder overthrew the ball to third base, and Fuller headed for home plate. A perfectly thrown ball by a Thunder fielder to the catcher got there in time and Fuller was tagged out on a controversial call by the home plate umpire. Charger coach Tim O'Brien contended that there was obstruction by the catcher, but the umpires disagreed and Fuller was called out. A ground out to second base ended the game with the Chargers on the short end of a 7-6 score.

The Chargers had ten hits for the game with Savana Fuller, Kelsey, Young, and Carrick each having two. Fuller and Hailey Kintz shared the pitching responsibilities. Fuller went nine innings in which she surrendered seven runs, and gave up eight hits while walking four and striking out four. Kintz relieved Fuller in the seventh inning, faced three batters, gave up no hits and walked one batter.

Despite the loss, the comeback by the Chargers was thrilling for players and fans alike. The team seems to have arrived to the point that it will not give up when falling behind--a sign of maturity. It bodes well for the future.

The season record now stands at 8-10 as the team continues with a busy week. The Chargers are now faced with three consecutive double headers. Tonight (Tuesday) they face Ogden on the home field at 5:30; Thursday the Chargers will travel to Des Moines Christian for a 5:00 start; Friday they will be at Van Meter for a 5:30 start. The regular season concludes on Saturday when Glidden-Ralston comes to town.

Line Score:

GVC 100 000 500 1--7 8 1

ACGC 000 000 600 0--6 9 3

Charger Box Score:

AB R H RBI

SFuller 5 1 2 0

JHoover 5 1 0 0

Kelsey 5 0 2 2

KyYoung 3 1 2 0

O'Brien 4 1 0 1

GHoover 3 0 1 0

Carrick 5 0 2 2

TFuller 3 1 0 0

Coffman 5 0 1 0

Kintz 0 1 0 0