ELIZABETHTOWN – Sophomore Kayleigh Raynor pitched a complete-game 5-hitter and struck out ten batters to lead East Bladen to a 10-5 Three Rivers Conference softball victory over West Bladen.
Junior Lorna Mendell drew a walk to begin the East Bladen second inning. A throwing error on senior Anna Kate White’s bunt single scored Mendell. White dashed home on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.
Raynor drilled a single to shortstop, stole second and raced home when freshman Mariah Smith smacked a single to centerfield for a 3-0 East lead.
Sophmore Alyssa Suggs walked in the Lady Knight fourth inning, but her courtesy runner Armani Cowan was retired at the plate on sophmore Madison Walters’ fielder’s choice. Freshman Lauren Pait walloped a home run over the centerfield fence that scored Walters and trimmed the Lady Eagle lead to 3-2.
White beat out an infield hit to start the Lady Eagle fourth and advanced on a wild pitch and a passed ball. Senior Olivia Hollingsworth lined a single off the pitcher that scored White. Hollingsworth stole second base, advanced on Johanna Parker’s fielder’s choice and scored when Raynor smashed a single to right to pad the lead to 5-2.
Senior Conner Brisson drew a lead-off walk in the West fifth inning, stole second and sprinted home when freshman Hannah Pait ripped a single to left that closed the gap to 5-3.
Sophmore Alyssa Futrell hammered a double to left-centerfield in the home fifth. A throwing error on sophmore Jordan Kinlaw’s fielder’s choice scored Futrell for a 6-3 East lead.
Hollingsworth blasted a double to the leftfield fence to begin the Lady Eagle sixth inning. Junior Abbie Cross walked, and Parker reached base on an infield hit. Hollingworth was retired on Raynor’s fielder’s choice.
Cross sprinted home on a wild pitch, and an error on Smith’s infield hit scored Parker and Raynor. Smith scored on Futrell’s infield hit to push the lead to 10-3.
Freshman Hayley Guyton drew a lead-off walk in the Lady Knight seventh inning and advanced on a pair of wild pitches. Junior Alara Cashwell laced a single to center that scored Guyton. After Cashwell stole second base, Hannah Pait knocked in Cashwell with a single, but Raynor struck out the next batter to end the game.
Futrell batted 3-4 with a double, a run batted in and a run scored to lead the Lady Eagle hitters. White finished 2-3 with an rbi and 2 runs scored. Hollingsworth batted 2-3 with a double, an rbi and a run scored.
Raynor finished 2-4 at the plate with an rbi and 2 runs scored. Smith batted 2-4 with 3 rbi’s and a run scored. Kinlaw, Mendell and Parker added one hit each. Mendell, Cross and Parker scored runs.
Lauren Pait slammed a double and a home run, drove in 2 runs and scored one to lead the Lady Knight hitters. Hannah Pait batted 2-3 with 2 rbi’s, and Cashwell singled, drove in a run and scored a run.
Pharr pitched a complete game for the Lady Knights, striking out 5 batters.
“After a tough week last week, this was a huge win for us,” said East Bladen Coach Chase Lancaster. “I am tickled pink with the girls and the way that they played tonight.”
East Bladen improved to 3-5 in league play and 3-7 overall and will travel to Whiteville Friday night. West Bladen, now 4-3 in the league and 6-3 overall, will host Fairmont Friday night.
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