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West Bladen’s Lady Knights travel to Kenley Friday night for a second round game in the NCHSAA Class 2A softball play-offs against the North Johnston Lady Panthers, the tri-champions of the Eastern Plains Conference. Gametime is 7 p.m.

Coach Joey Autry’s Lady Knights rode the 3-hit pitching of junior Sophia Singletary to a 3-1 victory over Franklinton in Wednesday’s opening round. West Bladen has won 10 of their last 11 games.

Singletary raised her record to 11-8 and lowered her earned run average to 2.62 with Wednesday’s win.

Freshman Carley Dawson batted 2-3 in Wednesday’s win and leads the Lady Knight hitters with a .443 average, 35 hits, 21 runs batted in and 9 doubles.

Junior Logan Autry follows with a .434 average and has 33 hits and 30 runs scored. Junior Laikyn Pait knocked in 2 runs Wednesday and has a .434 average with 33 hits, 31 rbi’s and 8 doubles.

Junior catcher Alanna Ludlum has a .397 average with 30 runs, 29 hits, 24 rbi’s and 8 doubles. Ludlum has thrown out 11 of 24 potential base-stealers.

North Johnston finished in a 3-way tie for first-place in the Eastern Plains Conference with Washington and Wilson Beddingfield. All 3 teams had 8-2 conference records and split their games with each other.

The Lady Panthers have won 6 games in a row and 9 of their last 10, losing only to Class 4A power Greenville Conley (23-2). North Johnston blanked Midway 5-0 behind a 6-hit shutout from senior Emma Turner in Wednesday’s play-off opener.

Turner has a 9-5 record with a 3.74 Earned Run Average. Freshman Amberlynn Pearce has struck out 51 batters in 49 innings and threw a 2-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over Washington in the regular season finale. Pearce has posted a 3-1 record with a 1.56 ERA.

Catcher Jada Santiago has thrown out 5 of 8 would-be base-stealers, and at the plate Santiago has slugged 5 home runs, drove in 24 runs and is batting .435.

Senior shortstop Olivia Narron has a .400 batting average with 23 runs scored, 5 doubles and 4 triples. Junior Taylor Narron is batting .346, and senior Olivia Stewart follows with a .292 average, 3 triples and 2 home runs.