NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC – A trio of Lumberton pitchers combined to pitch a 2-hitter and strike-out 15 batters as Lumberton pulled away from South Carolina 8-2 Tuesday night in the Dixie Belles Softball World Series.
Lumberton advances to the finals of the World Series winners’ bracket Wednesday night at 8 p.m. against Underwood, Alabama.
Morgan Hatchell pitched the first 3 innings for Lumberton and gave up an unearned run on no hits, while striking out 8 and walking two.
Morgan Britt worked the next 3 innings in the circle and allowed an unearned run on one hit, while striking out 7 and walking one. JaiLeana Deese gave up one hit in a scoreless seventh inning, but did hit 2 batters.
Hatchell lined a single to rightfield to start the game. Deese crushed a triple to the fence in left-centerfield that scored Hatchell for a 1-0 Lumberton lead.
Conner Brisson laced a single to centerfield to start the Lumberton third, and advanced on Abby Dawson’s sacrifice bunt. Hatchell knocked in Brisson with a single to left-centerfield for a 2-0 lead.
A walk and a trio of wild pitches produced a South Carolina run in the home half of the third.
Carley Dawson led off the Lumberton fourth with a single to centerfield, and Katie Kinlaw ripped a single off the pitcher’s leg. However Dawson was retired after rounding second base too far on the play.
Erin Maynor whacked a bouncer that ricocheted off the secondbaseman’s glove into left-centerfield for a double. Katlyn Jones laid down the safety squeeze bunt that scored Kinlaw and padded the lead to 3-1.
A passed third strike, another passed ball and a 2-out hit plated another South Carolina run in the home fourth and trimmed the margin to 3-2.
Hatchell beat out an infield hit to shortstop to start the Lumberton sixth, and Britt raked a single through the left side. Deese lined back to the pitcher who doubled Britt off first.
Carley Dawson belted a single to rightfield that skipped under the fielder’s glove and rolled to the fence allowing Dawson to circle the bases with Hatchell also scoring.
Katie Kinlaw ripped a single to centerfield that got past the fielder. Kinlaw sprinted to third base on the play and scored on Maynor’s infield hit for a 6-2 Lumberton lead.
Nykyra Mitchell walked to start the Lumberton seventh, and Brisson blasted a triple to deep right-centerfield that scored Mitchell. Madison Collins’ fielder’s choice drove in Brisson and pushed the lead to 8-2.
Brisson batted 3-3 with a triple, a run batted in and 2 runs scored. Hatchell finished 3-4 at the plate with an rbi and 2 runs scored. Kinlaw batted 2-2 with 2 runs scored.
Maynor batted 2-3 with a double and an rbi. Carley Dawson finished 2-3 at the plate with an rbi and a run scored. Britt also batted 2-3.
Deese pounded the rbi triple and lined out twice. Jones singled and drove in a run. Collins had an rbi, and Mitchell scored a run.
Lumberton outhit South Carolina 16-2 in the
game.
About Author
