ST. PAULS – Freshman Marlene Crabtree pitched a 6-hitter and struck out 10 batters to lead West Bladen to a 9-7 Southeastern Athletic Conference jayvee softball victory over St. Pauls Wednesday night. Crabtree walked 3 and hit 4 batters – only 4 of the St. Pauls runs were earned.
Sophomore Marlie Walters cracked a 1st inning single and circled the bases on a trio of stolen bases to put West up 1-0. Sophomore Megan Pait laced a single to center field in the 4th inning, stole 2nd base, and freshman Holland Davis knocked her in with a single to left for a 2-1 Lady Knight lead.
Crabtree smacked a single to left-center field in the 5th inning, stole 2nd and 3rd bases and darted home on Pait’s fielder’s choice to put West up 3-1.
After the Lady Bulldogs knotted the score 3-3, Alina Chavez and Ayanna Jones were hit by pitches to begin the Lady Knight 6th inning, and Shelby Burns loaded the bases with a single. Walters smashed a single to center that scored Chavez and Jones.
Crabtree drove in Burns with a single, and Pait ripped a double that scored Walters. Davis delivered a single to center field that scored Crabtree and Pait and opened up a 9-3 Lady Knight lead.
Freshman Hailey Ray’s bases-loaded triple capped a 4-run St. Pauls rally in the bottom of the sixth. Ray led the Lady Bulldogs with a 3-4 performance. Crabtree struck out 2 batters in a scoreless 7th inning to preserve the win.
Pait batted 2-for-4 with a double, 2 runs scored and 2 runs batted in. Crabtree finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, an RBI and 2 runs scored. Walters turned in a 2-for-4 game with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Davis batted 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Burns added 1 hit, and Burns, Jones and Chavez scored 1 run each.
Coach Joe Lewis’ Lady Knights improved to 4-0 and will host St. Pauls Friday at 4 p.m.
West Bladen 100 116 0 -9-9-3
St. Pauls 001 024 0 -7-6-1
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