BLADENBORO – Junior Rylee Chadwick pitched a 4-hitter and struck out 9 batters to lead West Bladen to a 5-3 Southeastern Athletic Conference softball victory over Clinton Friday night.
Chadwick walked 2 and only 1 of the 3 Clinton runs was earned. At the plate Chadwick batted 2-for-3 with a double, a run batted in and 2 runs scored.
Senior Jessalynn Vendrick slugged a double and a home run and finished 2-for-3 at the plate to celebrate Senior Night. Junior Kylie Durden doubled and scored twice. Junior Mackenzie Singletary singled, and junior Kaitlynn Brisson drove in a run.
Clinton turned a trio of Lady Knight errors into a pair of 1st inning runs, but West answered in the bottom of the inning. Durden drilled a double to left-center field and darted home when Chadwick pounded a double to center field. Brisson’s fielder’s choice plated Chadwick with the tying run.
Junior Mackenzie Singletary laced a single to right field to begin the Lady Knight 3rd inning, but her courtesy runner, Holland Davis, was retired on Durden’s fielder’s choice. Chadwick spanked a single to left-center, and both runners advanced on junior Madison Taylor’s sacrifice bunt. Brisson’s drive to right field was misplayed and scored Durden and Chadwick for a 4-2 West lead.
Clinton pitcher Lily Wilson walked, advanced on a swinging bunt and scored on Brittany Blackburn’s bunt to trim the Lady Knight lead to 4-3. Vendrick blasted her homer over the left-center field fence in the bottom of the sixth to pad the lead to 5-3.
Wilson scattered 6 hits, walked none, and gave up 5 runs – 3 earned – while striking out six. Senior Khaliah Chestnutt doubled to lead the Lady Dark Horse hitters. Junior Avery Evans singled and scored, and Kayley Bass and Hanna Locklear had infield hits.
Coach Pam Stephens’ Lady Knights raised their SAC-7 record to 9-3 and their overall mark to 10-11. West Bladen will close out their regular season at home against West Columbus on Thursday at 5 p.m.
Clinton 200 001 0 -3-4-1
West Bladen 202 001 x -5-6-3
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