Florence, SC – The Atlantic Collegiate Academy softball team opened its 2025 season with five games over the weekend at the Pee Dee Pitch Off at the Freedom Florence Recreational Complex.
It was the start of a very busy stretch to open the season that continues into this week with games schedules on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, including the start of regional play.
The opening weekend at the always competitive event hosted by South Florence High gave the young squad plenty of opportunities to see where it stands and what needs to be improved.
The Armada opened the year on Friday afternoon against Latta High, a game that ended in a 6-0 loss in four innings. ACA was held to just one hit in the game, a single by
Gianna Solinger. The Vikings scored five of their runs in the first two innings against junior pitcher
Stephanie Clark.
ACA came back on Friday night against Midland Valley. The Armada jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and scored three more runs in the third inning but fell to the Mustangs 8-6 in four innings. Sophomore
Alora Blackman singled home a pair of runs in the opening frame and junior
Navaeh Leonard followed with a single to score another run.
Midland Valley answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. The Mustangs increased their lead to 7-3 in the second before freshman
Lauren Wallace delivered a two-out, three-run single in the third to cut the deficit to 7-6. Midland Valley added an insurance run in the third before ACA left the tying runs on base in the fourth. The game time limit expired on the Armada at that point.
ACA had seven hits in the game led by freshman
Annabelle Senecai with two.
The Armada returned to action with three games on Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. against the host Bruins from South Florence. The Bruins scored a pair of runs on two doubles and an error in the first and added on three more, taking a 5-1 win. Four of the five runs were unearned against Clark. ACA had just three hits and scored its only run in the third on a ground out.
Saturday's second game was against East Clarendon and saw the Wolverines pound out 12 hits in a 15-2 victory. The game lasted just three innings and the Armada managed its two runs on just two hits and scored both runs as a result of a play with two Wolverines errors.
ACA closed out the tournament on Saturday night against Socastee, scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 4-2 victory. An error in the first inning allowed the Braves to score a single run, and that was where the game remained until the fourth when freshman Bailey Hans delivered a two-out double to score Cataline Williams, tying the game at 1-1.
After freshman
Kylie Fry retired the Braves in order in the bottom of the fourth, the Armada struck in the top of the fifth. Sophomore
Khloe Tino was hit by a pitch to open the inning and then promptly stole second and third base to get into scoring position. Clark drew a walk before Wallace gave ACA the lead with a single to left.
A wild pitch moved both runners up a base before a ground ball scored the second of the inning. A sacrifice fly by Solinger made it 4-1.
Socastee cut the score to 4-2 on a two-out single, but the game ended with a Braves runner thrown out at third trying to steal. Fry got the win in the circle in her first game as a pitcher.
Wallace led the Armada for the weekend, hitting .400 and driving home four runs.
The Armada is back at it on Monday against Franklin Road Academy from Nashville at the Ripken Complex in Myrtle Beach. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 :45 pm. ACA will then open region play on Tuesday at Mullins High at 6:30 p.m. before returning to the Ripken Complex on Wednesday for a second game against Franklin Road. That game is also set for a 3:45 p.m. start.
About Atlantic Collegiate Academy: Atlantic Collegiate Academy (ACA), located in Conway, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while also earning up to two years of college credit. ACA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10 grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades.
Learn more about ACA by visiting our website at AtlanticCollegiate.Academy and by following us on social media on Facebook, Instagram and X.
