03/28/2024
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softballNORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC – A trio of Lumberton pitchers combined for their second straight 2-hitter and blanked Alabama 7-0 late Wednesday night in the winners’ bracket finale of the Dixie Belles Softball World Series.

Lumberton, the only unbeaten team remaining in the tournament, will play once-beaten Georgia Thursday at 11 a.m.

The game started at 10:20 p.m. and ended 15 minutes after midnight, but it didn’t affect an errorless performance by the Lumberton defense. The defensive gem of the game was a diving back-handed grab by secondbasemen Erin Maynor in the third inning.

Starting pitcher Morgan Hatchell pitched 2 hitless innings, struck out 3, walked 2 and hit one batter. Morgan Britt worked the next 2 innings in the circle and allowed one hit while striking out two.

JaiLeana Deese closed out the game with 3 solid innings of relief and gave up one infield hit, while striking out three.

Britt started the 4-run first with a bloop that fell off the end of the shortstop’s glove for a hit. Deese and Carley Dawson drew walks, before Britt dashed home on a wild pitch. Katie Kinlaw was hit by a pitch, and Deese darted home on a wild pitch.

After Katlyn Jones walked, Kasey West belted a single off the secondbaseman’s glove that scored Carley Dawson and Kinlaw who hustled home from second base on the play.

Hatchell and Britt both reached base on errors to start the Lumberton third inning. After Deese’s fielder’s choice retired Britt, Hatchell raced home from third on Carley Dawson’s grounder for a 5-0 lead.

Maynor beat out an infield hit to start the Lumberton fourth, and Jones walked. West reached on a fielder’s choice as the defense held Maynor at third base. Nykyra Mitchell lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Maynor.

Conner Brisson beat out an infield hit down the third base line, and Abby Dawson’s squeeze bunt banged off the charging firstbaseman and scored Jones to pad the lead to 7-0.

Britt batted 2-3 and scored a run. West cracked the 2-run single, and Brisson and Maynor added one hit each. Carley Dawson, Abby Dawson and Mitchell drove in one run each.

Hatchell, Deese, Carley Dawson, Kinlaw, Maynor and Jones scored one run each.

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