​When the Maggie Walker Governor’s School Dragons arrived at Mills Godwin late Friday afternoon to take on the Eagles in softball, the question wasn’t so much, “Who will win?” as it was, “Will they actually play their game to completion?”

​There were storm clouds hovering overhead, you see, rain was in the immediate forecast, and the drop in temperature as the 6 p.m. first pitch approached suggested that the front was rapidly encroaching from the west.

​As the scouting reports foretold, the Eagles reigned supreme.

​Coach Nikki Jones’s crew put up eight runs in the first inning, 10 more in the second, and another five in the fourth to claim a 23-4 victory.

​And the rain?

​It finally arrived in the home half of the fourth, and as it intensified in the top of the fifth, the Eagles retired the Dragons 1-2-3 to send the folks on hand scurrying for shelter.

​Now the game…

​Jones held most of her starters out of action in favor of backup players, many of whom have played only sparingly throughout the season.

​Four freshmen, two sophomores, one junior, and two seniors played much of the game as their more experienced teammates cheered from the dugout.

​“The girls have bought into every single game,” she said of her reserves. “You want the girls who will be in (key) positions next year to have playing experience.”

​Mission accomplished, she acknowledged.

​“We saw how they worked together in different positions,” Jones said. “We’ve been working on communication. That’s been our main focus. Communication can either make or break a team. Good communication can keep a winning run from scoring. It also can create a good team dynamic that keeps teams together in tough times.”

​Adelynn Collins, a junior shortstop, led off the first with a single to right and scored on freshman Bryn Donham’s single to left. Mackenzie White, a senior, drew a walk, freshman Eliza Mason singled to left scoring Donham, and sophomore catcher Emily Earle smacked a single to right scoring White and Mason.

​By the time the Dragons (5-7) stopped the onslaught, Haden McGehee, Vada Baucum, Carter Dunham, and Collins (again) also crossed the plate.

​“Normally, we have our set nine (starters),” said Collins, who went 2-for-4 with four runs and one RBI. “Working with different people in each position, we see how well we can adjust and work together.

​“There’re still some things we can clean up, but overall, I think it went pretty well.”

​The Dragons, who started four freshmen, a sophomore, two juniors, and two seniors, halved their deficit by scoring four runs in the top of the second.

​Ryann Brightman, Isabella Donner, and Adria Mittal, all freshmen, led off with consecutive walks to load the bases.

​Then, with two outs, senior Ashley Simmons stroked a double to left to score Brightman and Donner. 

​Mittal, who moved to third on Simmons’s double, raced home on a wild pitch, and Jalise Melson’s infield single to the left side scored Simmons.

​As the Dragons rallied, the Eagles displayed no sense of urgency. Jones never left the dugout. Instead, she trusted her players to encourage one another and self-correct.

​“That was very purposeful,” Jones said of allowing her crew to steady the ship. “Girls who don’t normally step up have the ability and the opportunity to step up. It’s working through adversity.”

​The 10-run, six-hit second inning during which 15 Eagles went to bat put the game out of reach.

​Dunham delivered one key hit: a double to left on a 3-2 count that scored Isabella Liso, McGehee, and Baucum.

​Liso delivered another, also a double, this one to centerfield that scored White and Mason.

​The Eagles weren’t finished.

​With the rain falling, Donham drilled a triple to center field to score Baucum and Collins to increase her RBI total to four.

​Senior Laney Poulos, who entered as a pinch hitter, hit a double to left scoring Donham. 

​The victory was nice, Jones said, but the beauty of the moment her players ability to act upon the empowerment which they felt. 

​“It’s bigger than just one game or one season,” she said. “It’s making sure these girls are able to develop into productive young women and be able to contribute to society.”