Lady Cougars Begin Season Friday
Piedmont Academy’s fast-pitch softball team will usher in the 2016 season with the fourth annual Piedmont Softball Classic Friday and Saturday.
Games begin at 10 a.m. Friday and will continue throughout the day through 8 p.m. Tournament play will resume Saturday morning at 10 and once again last all day.
Numerous teams will participate including Gatewood, Loganville Christian Academy, The Heritage School, Trinity-Sharpsburg, Briarwood, Georgia FCA and Piedmont.
The Lady Cougars, coached by Daniel Funt, will play Trinity-Sharpsburg Friday at 6 p.m. and then compete against The Heritage School Saturday at 2 p.m. Piedmont will also play LCA Saturday at 8 p.m.
Admission to the tournament is $5 per day. All games will be played at Piedmont Academy.
Players on the 2016 varsity roster for the Lady Cougars include seniors Ashley Johnston and Madison Burnham, junior Alexis Dodson, sophomores Mattie Johnston, Maddie Morton, Lucy Tuggle, Hailey Hooper, Deacon Robinson and Cassidy Cook, freshmen Kenzie Rodgers and Madison Johnson and eighth graders Haley Ann Frank and Ava Anglin.
“We are improving,” Funt said. “During our first week of practice we went to Briarwood and had three scrimmages. We struggled some, but it was our first time our. After that, we knew what we had to work on.”
The Lady Cougars had scrimmages against Briarwood, Glascock County and Harlem.
Piedmont then held a co-practice last Friday with Gatewood.
“We same some improvements then,” Funt said. “We are getting better each day. We are trying to find someone who is going to take charge. This is a good group in terms of talent. They are competitive.”
The coach said he will know more about his team following this week’s action.
“The tournament will give us a chance to gain some playing experience,” Funt said. “We will try to get the players focused on our team goals for the season.”
Following play in this weekend’s tournament, Piedmont’s varsity softball team will travel to Briarwood Academy in Warrenton on Tuesday, Aug. 9, for a 4 p.m. game. The team will then play two games at Thomas Jefferson on Saturday, Aug. 13.
The first game will be against host TJA at 1:20 p.m. followed by a contest against Edmund Burke at 4:30 p.m.