The Force capitalized on 17 walks to score 16 runs and edge the Racers 16-15 Thursday in Bladen Recreation 11-12 Softball action at County Park.
Kaylynn Tatum ripped a single to start the Racer first inning. Abigail Collins, Grace West, Mary Katelyn Lennon and Hayley Evers drew walks, and Hailey Guyton, Amber Jones and Kayla Bell were hit by pitches. Tatum, Collins, Guyton, West and Lennon all scored for a 5-0 lead.
Lauren Pait was hit by a pitch and scored in the Force first inning, and Makayla Wright, Emily Pait, Megan West, Hannah Hester, Brooke Priest, Whitney McLean and Alyssa Benson all drew consecutive walks and all scored as the Force went ahead 8-5.
Kylee Kellam beat out an infield hit to drive in a run, and a Lauren Pait walk forced in the final run of the inning.
Collins walked, and Cheyanne Merritt and Guyton smacked singles in the Racer second. Collins and Merritt scored runs to trim the Force lead to 8-7.
In the Force second, Amber Jones, Wright, Emily Pait, Megan West, Hester, Priest, McLean and Benson all drew walks to start the inning and all of them scored except Benson who was forced out on Kellam’s fielder’s choice. Wright cracked a single to drive in Kellam for a 16-7 lead.
Evers and Bell walked to start the Racer third inning. Lauren Council reached base on an infield hit before Tatum walloped a grand-slam home run to left-centerfield. Collins, Merritt, Guyton and Grace West drew walks, and Jones belted a 2-run single. An Evers’ walk forced home Grace West to cap the scoring.
Kellam singled and drove in 2 runs, and Wright cracked an rbi single for the only 2 Force hits. Megan West struck out 3 in her 2 innings of work to pick up the pitching victory.
Tatum batted 2-2 with the grand-slam homer and 2 runs scored to lead the Racer hitters. Merritt, Guyton, Jones and Council added one hit each. Jones drove in 2 runs with her single, and Council’s hit drove in a run.
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