03/18/2024
Bladen County Sports
Spread the love

ELIZABETHTOWN – League-leading East Columbus scored eight runs in the final 3 innings to pull out a 12-5 Three Rivers Conference softball victory over East Bladen Wednesday night.

The Lady Gators snapped a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning turning 2 hits, 3 errors and a passed ball into 4 runs for an 8-4 lead.

Sophmore Alyssa Futrell led off the Lady Eagle fifth with a single but was thrown out at the plate when senior Olivia Hollingsworth drilled a double to centerfield. Hollingsworth advanced on a ground-out and dashed home when senior Anna Kate White lined a single to left.

Singles by Alexis Jacobs and Zae Flowers sandwiched around Arianna Daniels run-scoring double produced two more Lady Gator runs in the sixth inning that pushed the lead to 10-5.

Jacobs belted a run-scoring triple in the seventh inning and scored on a wild pitch to pad the lead to 12-5.

“We held our own until late, but a few good bunts from them and a few bad errors from us were the difference,” said East Bladen Coach Chase Lancaster.

Flowers tripled in the Lady Gator second inning, a passed third strike, two bunt singles and Jacobs’ 2-run double gave East Columbus a 3-0 lead.

Alanna Deal walked and scored on an error in the third inning to grow the Lady Gator lead to 4-0.

Junior Abbie Cross drew a lead-off walk and advanced on Johanna Parker’s sacrifice bunt in the East Bladen third inning. Sophmore Kayleigh Raynor and freshman Mariah Smith were both hit by pitches. Futrell knocked in Cross and Raynor with a single to centerfield that sliced the lead to 4-2.

In the Lady Eagle fourth inning, White smacked a single to centerfield, and Futrell walloped a double to leftfield. Cross delivered a single that scored White and Futrell and tied the game 4-4.

Futrell batted 3-5 with a double, 2 runs batted in and a run scored to lead the Lady Eagle hitters. White finished 2-5 at the plate with 2 rbi’s and a run scored. Hollingsworth doubled and scored a run. Cross drove in 2 runs with a single and scored a run. Raynor scored a run.

Raynor went the distance in the circle for East Bladen and struck out 5 batters.

Daniels pitched the first 3 innings for the Lady Gators and allowed 2 runs on a hit and 2 walks. Deal worked the final 4 innings in relief and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out four.

Jacobs batted 3-4 with a double, a triple, 3 rbi’s and 2 runs scored for the Lady Gators. Sealey Sessions finished 2-4 at the plate with 3 rbi’s and 2 runs scored. Flowers batted 2-4 with a triple, an rbi and 2 runs scored.

East Bladen, now 6-8 in the TRC and 6-10 overall, and will play Monday at 1 p.m. in the West Brunswick Easter Tournament against the host Lady Trojans.

About Author