By Tray Mason

Correspondent

In what was surely a somber afternoon for players, coaches and fans alike, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s softball team took the field for the first time since a fatal car accident took the life of fellow student-athlete Ian Burgett.

Burgett, who was a senior and knew many of the players on a softball team that features seven seniors, was honored before the game began. The Lady Saints and their opponents, Hampton Roads Academy, came together for a moment of silence.

NSA’s entire team also donned handwritten tattoos on their upper arms that simply read “IAN” in black letters.

Despite the dark cloud that hung over the school on Tuesday, the Lady Saints had a game to play, and they defeated visiting HRA handily, winning 7-1 in six innings.

Other than giving up a first-inning run, pitcher Morgan Daughtry was lights-out on the mound, striking out six batters with no walks.

A sacrifice bunt from Brooklyn Carr scored Macy Mears from third base, and the Lady Saints tied the game at one in the bottom half of the first inning. Carr also had two doubles in the game.

Daughtry, who was 3 for 3 at the plate, gave herself some run support in the third inning with a two-run double, putting NSA up 3-1. Nicole Turner also had an RBI in the inning.

The Lady Saints iced the game in the fourth inning after Carr and Kaitlyn McCracken totaled three RBI’s to give NSA a 7-1 lead.

The game was put on 30-minute delay due to lightning before it was eventually called off completely due to rain.

“We were a little bit emotionally flat today,” NSA head coach Kim Aston said. “They had other things on their minds other than the softball game.”

“They fought through it, and got key hits at key times with runners in scoring position.”

The Lady Saints’ regular season comes to a close this week. Thursday they travel to take on Norfolk Academy. Friday is Senior Day as they take on St. Gertrude at home.