TAR HEEL – Kayleigh Raynor slugged 2 home runs to lead Elizabethtown to a 26-5 Bladen Five Middle School Conference softball victory over Tar Heel.
Catcher Abigail Madden walked, stole a couple of bases and scored an Elizabethtown run in the first inning, but Tar Heel pitcher Shelby Pharr blasted a home run to right-centerfield to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first.
Shortstop Cheylee Mathis ignited a 10-run second-inning for the Lady Cougars with a single. Five walks, 2 hit batters and a Carlie West single followed. Alexus Mitchell walloped a 3-run home run to cap the rally.
Tar Heel answered with 3 runs in the bottom of the second. Kaitlynn Brisson smacked a single, and Madilynn Brisson slammed a double. An error on the play scored both runners. Caroline Brisson singled and scored to trim the margin to 11-4.
West lined a single to leftfield to start the Elizabethtown third. Madden ripped a double, and an error on the play scored her and West. Tinyaun Rhoda walked and Raynor hammered a 2-run home run over the left fielder’s head. Mathis and Alyssa Suggs both singled and both scored as the lead grew to 17-4.
Kaylee Page belted a single and scored in the Tar Heel third to whittle the lead to 17-5.
Three hit batters, three walks and singles by Suggs and Madden led to 9 more Elizabethtown runs in the fourth inning. Armani Cowan reached base on a fielder’s choice before Raynor crushed a drive to deep leftfield for a 2-run home run.
West finished 3-3 at the plate with 3 runs scored. Mitchell batted a perfect 2-2, scored 3 runs and ripped the 3-run homer. Madden was 2-3 with a double and 3 runs scored. Mathis batted 2-3 and scored 3 runs, Raynor had the 2 home runs and scored 3 runs.
Suggs batted 2-3 and scored 4 runs. Pitcher Laura Davidson and Alyssa Strickland added one hit each. Davidson scored 3 runs, and Strickland, Rhoda, Cowan and Lauren Davis scored one run each.
Davidson pitched 4 innings and struck out three.
Pharr smashed the home run to lead Tar Heel. Madilynn Brisson doubled and scored a run. Teammates Kaitlynn Brisson, Caroline Brisson, Page and Nykia Lewis connected for one hit each. Kaitlynn Brisson, Caroline Brisson and Page scored one run each.
Elizabethtown improved to 4-1 with the victory and can clinch the Bladen Five championship with a win at Bladenboro Monday. A Bladenboro victory would result in a 3-way tie between Elizabethtown, Clarkton School of Discovery and Bladenboro.
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