Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
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TAR HEEL – Shy’Asia Ratliff knocked in the eventual winning run Thursday as Clarkton School of Discovery rallied for a 3-2 victory over Bladenboro in the Bladen County Middle School Softball Tournament Championship game.
Clarkton trailed 2-1 in the top of the seventh inning when Maegan Burney drew a one-out walk. One out later a throwing error on Sophia Masaid’s infield roller allowed Burney to circle the bases and score the tying run on an obstruction ruling near the plate.
Emma Turbeville poked a single over first base to begin the Lady Blue Devil eighth inning. Addie Bowen’s sacrifice bunt sent Turbeville to second base. Ratliff lined a single to left that scored Cydney Campbell, the pinch-runner for Turbeville, with the go-ahead run.
The Lady Bulldogs put a runner on second base in the home eighth, but a double play ended the game.
Bladenboro had grabbed a 1-0 first inning lead when Lainey Autry smacked a single to centerfield then raced around the bases as the ball skipped past the outfielder.
Clarkton tied the game in the third inning on two-out singles by Karli Priest and Turbeville. Priest scored the tying run.
Megan Pait led off the Bladenboro third with a hustling double to right-centerfield. Autry belted a single to leftfield that sent Pait to third base, and McKenzie Singletary’s sacrifice fly to left scored Pait for a 2-1 Lady Bulldog lead.
Priest and Bladenboro’s Rylee Chadwick both pitched complete game five-hitters. Priest struck out seven and walked four. Chadwick struck out nine and walked two.
Priest and Turbeville both batted 2-for-4 to lead the Clarkton hitters. Ratliff added the run-scoring single. Priest, Campbell and Burney scored runs.
Autry batted 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Lady Bulldog hitters. Pait and MaKayla Wright slammed doubles, and Chadwick added a single. Pait scored a run, and Singletary drove in a run.
Coach Jordan Raynor’s Lady Blue Devils finished the season with an 11-3 record. Bladenboro concluded play with a 7-6 record.
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