Members of the Bladen County 10-and-Under Softball All-Stars are: Bella Robinson, Brenna Hester, Gracey Clark, Kali Allen, Aubrei Nixon, Leea Wilkins, Niyah Wooten, Tatum Allen, Jenna Brice, Taylor Dowless, Greer Pope, Karlee Gause and Addison Wilcox. Coaches are Alex Barbour, Jamie Brice, and David Allen.
HOLLY SPRINGS – Bladen County won the StateWide Activities Committee 10-and-Under Softball Sectional Tournament on Sunday by sweeping both championship games 17-12 and 14-13 over Nash County.
The Bladen All-Stars had to defeat Holly Springs 4-3 in Sunday’s first game before posting the two wins over Nash County to complete the tripleheader on a very hot day.
The two championship games against Nash didn’t have time limits and the first one lasted 2.5 hours. “Those girls fought so hard,” said Bladen Coach Alex Barbour. “It was extremely hot.”
The sectional championship advances the Bladen team to next weekend’s SWAC State Tournament as a No. 1 seed.
Bladen County 4, Holly Springs 3
Jenna Brice pitched a no-hitter and struck out six batters to pitch Bladen County to the win over Holly Springs. Brice’s only two walks in the game coupled with three errors led to three Holly Springs runs in the fourth inning.
Bladen County had taken a 4-0 lead in the third inning. Taylor Dowless drew a leadoff walk, and Tatum Allen cracked a single. Leea Wilkins, Brice and Kali Allen drew walks, and Dowless, Tatum Allen, Brice and Kali Allen scored runs.
Tatum Allen, Wilkins, and Addison Wilcox belted hits for Bladen County. Tatum Allen, Kali Allen, Dowless and Brice scored runs.
First Championship Game
The top four hitters in the Bladen line-up pounded out seven hits and scored 15 runs to lead the winners to a 17-12 victory over Nash County in the first championship game.
Leea Wilkins batted 3-for-4 and scored four runs for the winners. Kali Allen finished 2-for-3 at the plate and scored five runs. Clean-up hitter Niyah Wooten batted 2-for-3 and scored twice, and leadoff batter Tatum Allen scored four runs.
Aubrei Nixon batted 2-for-4 for Bladen County, and Addison Wilcox singled and scored a run. Teammate Greer Pope also scored a run.
Gracey Clark pitched the first three innings for Bladen County and picked up the win allowing 10 runs on seven walks, only one hit, two hit batsmen and four errors while striking out six. Jenna Brice pitched three innings of two-hit relief to record the save. Brice allowed two runs, two walks and struck out five.
Tatum Allen was hit by a pitch to start the game, and Kali Allen, Wilkins and Wooten drew walks. Wilcox belted a hit to left-center field, and Tatum Allen, Kali Allen and Wilkins scored runs in the inning.
Nash answered with four runs in the home first, but Bladen bounced back with five runs in the second inning to take an 8-4 lead. Tatum Allen walked, and Kali Allen and Wilkins reached base on errors, before Wooten pounded a hit to left field.
Wilcox reached base on an error, Bella Robinson walked and Nixon laced a hit to center field. Tatum Allen, Kali Allen, Wilkins, Wooten and Wilcox scored runs.
Nash closed to within 8-6, but Bladen tallied four more runs in the third inning. Pope, Tatum Allen and Kali Allen all drew walks and scored runs. Wilkins ripped a hit to center field and scored to grow the lead back to 12-6.
Nash answered with four runs to slice the lead to 12-10. Kali Allen led off the Bladen fifth inning with a hit, and Wilkins and Wooten smashed hits to the outfield. Kali Allen and Wilkins both scored to push the lead to 14-10.
Back came Nash with two runs in the fifth to whittle the lead to 14-12, but Bladen sealed the verdict with three runs in the sixth inning. Tatum Allen was hit by a pitch, and Kali Allen and Wilkins followed with hits. Wooten, Wilcox and Robinson drew walks, and Nixon smacked a single. Tatum Allen, Kali Allen and Wooten scored runs in the inning.
Second Championship Game
A five-run fourth inning rally propelled Bladen County to a 14-10 lead and eventual 14-13 victory in the deciding game. Nash County had led 10-9 after 3.5 innings.
Niyah Wooten, Aubrei Nixon and Gracey Clark reached base on errors, and Addison Wilcox cracked a single. Bella Robinson, Jenna Brice, Tatum Allen and Brenna Hester drew walks. Wooten, Wilcox, Nixon, Robinson and Clark all scored runs.
A trio of errors led to a pair of Nash runs in the fifth inning, and another error plated their final run in the sixth. Brice retired the final three batters – two by strikeout – to secure the championship.
Kali Allen pitched the first three innings for Bladen County and allowed 10 runs on four hits, five walks and five errors while striking out one. Brice picked up the win with three innings of relief, striking out seven and allowing three runs on five errors and one hit while walking none.
Tatum Allen and Kali Allen drew first-inning walks, and Hester, Leea Wilkins and Wooten slammed hits as Bladen County edged ahead 3-2. Tatum Allen, Wilkins and Kali Allen scored runs.
Nash went up 5-3 in the second and stretched its lead to 10-3, before Bladen rallied with six runs in the home third. Kali Allen, Wilcox, Nixon, Robinson, and Taylor Dowless drew walks.
Wooten hammered a hit to center field, Clark launched a hit to right field, and Tatum Allen slapped a hit past second base. Kali Allen, Wooten, Wilcox, Nixon, Robinson and Clark scored runs to slice the margin to 10-9.
Wooten batted 2-for-4 and scored 2 runs to lead the Bladen hitters. Tatum Allen, Hester, Wilkins, Kali Allen, Wilcox, Nixon and Clark connected for one hit each. Wilcox, Kali Allen, Nixon, Robinson and Clark scored two runs each. Tatum Allen and Wilkins scored one run each.
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