TAR HEEL – Maddie Taylor pitched a 4-hitter and struck out six to lead Clarkton School of Discovery to a 23-2 victory over Tar Heel in the opening round of the Bladen County Middle School Tournament.
Taylor walked four and hit one batter as the Lady Blue Devils pulled away with 22 runs in the final three innings.
Shy’Asia Ratliff led off the Clarkton second inning with a single, and Cydney Campbell slammed a 2-out triple to drive her in.
The Lady Blue Devils pulled away with 7 runs in the third. Sophia Masaid drew a lead-off walk, and Lena Trinidad knocked her in with a single. Trinidad stole her way around the bases, and Emma Turbeville and Ratliff reached base on errors.
Turbeville scored on an error, and Taylor walked. Ratliff scored on a wild pitch. Campbell drilled a triple that scored Taylor then dashed home on a wild pitch.
Clarkton tacked on seven more runs in the fourth to boost the lead to 15-0. Trinidad hammered a double, and Addie Bowen drove her in with a single. Turbeville belted a single, and Bowen scooted home on a wild pitch.
Ratliff and Taylor drew walks, and Turbeville scored on Maegan Burney’s fielder’s choice, before Campbell blasted a 3-run home run. Masaid walked and scored on Trinidad’s single.
Violet Allen lined a single to centerfield in the Tar Heel fourth inning and stole two bases. Madison Holder was hit by a pitch, and Katelynn Robinson delivered a single that scored both Allen and Holder and trimmed the margin to 15-2.
Clarkton tacked on 8 runs in the fifth inning. Turbeville walloped a triple and scampered home on a wild pitch. Ratliff walked, and Taylor smacked a single. ShaNidra Richardson walked, and Ratliff scampered home on a wild pitch.
Dyiamon Robinson walked, and Emmee Ward was hit by a pitch to force home Taylor. Bowen smashed a double that scored Richardson and Robinson. After Turbeville walked, Ratliff crushed a triple to leftfield that scored Ward, Bowen and Turbeville.
Campbell slugged a home run and two triples to drive in 5 runs and score twice to lead the Clarkton hitters. Trinidad batted a perfect 3-3 with a double, 2 runs batted in and 2 runs scored. Ratliff finished 2-3 at the plate with a triple, 3 rbi’s and 4 runs scored.
Bowen batted 2-3 with a double, 3 rbi’s and 3 runs scored. Turbeville finished 2-4 at the plate with a triple and 4 runs scored. Taylor singled and scored 3 runs. Masaid scored twice, and Ward, Richardson and Dyiamon Robinson scored one run each. Burney drove in a run.
Kennedy Carroll walloped a triple to lead the Tar Heel pitchers. Allen, pitcher Gracie Faircloth, and Katelynn Robinson connected for one hit each. Allen and Holder scored runs, and Katelynn Robinson drove in 2 runs.
Coach Jordan Raynor’s Lady Blue Devils advanced to Thursday’s tournament championship game with a 10-3 record.
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