WILMINGTON – After dropping a 12-2 decision to South Columbus, Bladen County bounced back to defeat Cape Fear 13-6 Sunday and earned a berth in the Dixie Softball Ponytails State Tournament that will begin July 7th at Town Creek.
East Columbus and South Columbus will play Monday evening and the winner of that game will play Bladen County at 7 p.m. Monday for the District 9 Tournament Championship. Being in the title game assured Bladen County of advancing to the state in their 1st year of playing Dixie Softball.
South Columbus 12, Bladen County 2
South Columbus scored in every inning en route to a 12-2 win over Bladen County. Kynzlee Wood pitched for Bladen County.
Maycee Kinlaw led off the game with a single to centerfield for Bladen County and scored the 1st Bladen run. Anna Claire Walters knocked in Kinlaw with a single to left.
Kynzlee Wood belted a single and scored the other Bladen run in the 3rd inning. Kenley Smeigh laced a 2nd inning single to right for the other Bladen hit.
Bladen County 101 0- 2
South Columbus 124 5-12
Bladen County 13, Cape Fear 6
Maycee Kinlaw pitched 5 innings of 2-hit relief and struck out 7 batters, and Bladen County pounded out 16 hits as they rallied from an early 3-0 deficit for a 13-6 victory over Cape Fear.
Hadley Dove started for Bladen and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits in the 1st inning, while striking out one. Dixie Softball only allows pitchers to pitch 13 innings in a tournament, so Kinlaw relieved in the 2nd and used up her final 5 innings of eligibility in the tournament to secure the victory.
Ryleigh Miller drew a 2-out walk in the Bladen 2nd, and Adyson Carroll and Bristol Allen hammered back-to-back doubles that scored Miller and Carroll and trimmed the Cape Fear lead to 3-2.
Camryn Wood, Kynzlee Wood, Chloe Walters, Kinlaw and Dove all connected for consecutive singles in the Bladen 3rd inning. Camryn Wood, Kynzlee Wood, Walters and Kinlaw all scored to jump Bladen County ahead 6-3.
Brissa Matheson yanked a single past 3rd base to start the Bladen 4th inning. Carroll walked, and Allen crushed a double to center field. Abby Dicicco and Camryn Wood swatted singles to right field. Matheson, Carroll, Allen and Dicicco all scored to grow the Bladen lead to 10-3.
After Cape Fear whittled the margin to 10-5, Kinlaw smashed a single to left and scored in the 5th inning to push the lead to 11-5.
Kenley Smeigh and Matheson started the Bladen 6th inning with singles. Carroll lined a single to right, and Allen added a single. Walks to Dicicco and Camryn Wood forced home Matheson and Carroll with the final Bladen runs.
Allen batted a perfect 3-for-3 with 2 doubles and a run scored. Carroll finished 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and 3 runs scored. Camryn Wood also batted 2-for-2 with a run scored.
Kinlaw finished 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored, and Matheson was also 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored. Dove, Dicicco, Smeigh, Kynzlee Wood and Chloe Walters contributed 1 hit each. Miller, Dicicco, Kynzlee Wood and Chloe Walters scored 1 run each.
Bladen County 024 412 — 13
Cape Fear 300 201 — 6
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