ELIZABETHTOWN – Emereau Bladen rallied for a pair of 2-out runs in the bottom of the 7th inning to rally past Bladenboro 6-5 Monday in non-conference middle school softball action at County Park.
Lady Bulldog pitcher Marly Crabtree took a 5-4 lead into the home 7th and retired the first 2 batters. Martha Simmons drilled a double to left field for the Lady Aviators, and Gracie Clark drew a walk. An error on Miriam DeVane’s grounder allowed Simmons and Clark to score the tying and winning runs.
Jenna Brice scattered 10 hits, struck out 6, walked 3 and allowed 5 runs to pick up the pitching victory for Emereau. Bladenboro’s Marly Crabtree pitched a complete game 5-hitter, struck out 5, walked 6 and allowed 6 runs.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
The Lady Bullogs grabbed a 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning. Leea Wilkins ripped a single to center field, and Marlie Walters cracked a single past 2nd base. Crabtree’s fielder’s choice scored Wilkins, and Kali Allen knocked in Walters with a single to center field.
Laci Bufkin led off the Lady Aviator 3rd inning with a single to left, but was retired on Taylor Dowless’ fielder’s choice. Mollie Tolar laced a single to center field that plated Dowless and trimmed the lead to 2-1.
Clark walked to begin the Emereau 4th inning and scored on Madison Sullivan’s fielder’s choice to tie the game 2-2.
The Lady Bulldogs answered with a 3-run, 5th inning to go back on top 5-2. Holland Davis smacked a single to left and raced home when Crabtree belted a single to center field. Allen reached base on an error, and Natalie Sykes walked. Kallie Bass drove in Crabtree and Allen with a single to center field.
Emereau whittled the lead to 5-4 with a pair of runs in the home fifth. Aubrei Nixon smashed a single to right field, and Dowless walked. Tolar drilled a single to right that scored Nixon. Brice reached base on an error as Dowless scored.
Tolar batted 2-for-3 with a run batted in to lead the Emereau hitters. Simmons and Nixon slammed doubles and scored 1 run each. Bufkin cracked a single, and Sullivan had an RBI. Clark walked 3 times, and Dowless walked twice and scored 2 runs.
Wilkins, Walters and Davis all batted 2-for-4 and all 3 of them scored 1 run each to lead the Bladenboro hitters. Crabtree singled, had 2 RBIs and scored a run. Bass delivered the 2-run single, and Allen and Sykes added 1 hit each. Allen scored a run and had an RBI.
Emereau Bladen improved to 6-1 with the victory. Bladenboro is now 2-2. The two teams will play again Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Bladenboro.
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