Apalachee High School was about as close to victory as you could get Monday.
In the end, Archer High School rallied for a 5-4 win.
The Lady Wildcats led 4-3 going into the seventh inning but some hits by Archer along with a misplayed ball in the outfield would prove costly for AHS.
Becca Meade went the distance as the freshman gained valuable experience, coach Mike Cavey said.
“As a freshman she needed to be in that situation,” Cavey said. “Our defense was shaky and we gave them a run or two, but overall we did well.”
The AHS softball team emerged from the Hawk-Bulldog Invitational tournament hosted by North Gwinnett with two wins last week.
After falling to North Gwinnett 7-0 to open play, the Lady Wildcats defeated Gainesville 8-0.
AHS then played a region game Thursday posting a 9-0 victory against Salem.
Once back in tournament play, the Lady Cats fell to Houston County, Mill Creek and Archer while defeating Jefferson.
A pair of freshmen pitchers have stepped into the spotlight for AHS in recent outings. Ashley Walraven stepped onto the pitcher’s mound against Houston County and recorded six strikeouts while allowing just one walk.
In the region opener against Salem, fellow freshman Meade blanked the Lady Noles.
On the horizon, the AHS fast-pitch team will host county and region foe Winder-Barrow Monday with varsity action beginning at 5:55 p.m.
