03/28/2024
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FAIRMONT – Freshman Kayleigh Raynor pitched a 2-hitter and struck out 12 batters to lead East Bladen to an 11-2 Three Rivers Conference softball victory over Fairmont Friday night.

Raynor walked only one batter in the game. Both Fairmont runs were unearned.

East Bladen took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Sophmore Abbie Cross walked and sprinted home when junior Erica McKoy walloped a triple over the leftfielder’s head. Olivia Hollingsworth raked a single to left that scored McKoy.

Fairmont tied the game 2-2 in the fourth inning on an infield hit and two errors.

East Bladen broke the game open with an eight-run fifth-inning rally. Sophmore Lorna Mendell reached base on a throwing error, and senior Faith Johnson reached on a dropped pop-up.

Raynor drilled a triple to right-centerfield that scored Mendell and Johnson. McKoy lined a single to centerfield that scored Raynor. After McKoy stole second base, Hollingsworth yanked a single to left that scored McKoy. An error on the play sent Hollingsworth to third base and she dashed home on a wild pitch.

Sophmore Johanna Parker belted a single to left and stole second base. Senior Kaley Smith pulled a single to left that scored Parker. Mendell blasted an inside-the-park home run to right-centerfield scoring Smith ahead of her.

McKoy cracked a 2-out single to centerfield in the sixth inning then scored all the way from first base when Hollingsworth laced a single to rightfield.

McKoy batted 3-4 with a triple, 2 runs batted in and 3 runs scored. Hollingsworth was also 3-4 and drove in 3 runs. Parker batted 2-4 with a run scored. Mendell blasted the 2-run home run and scored twice.

Raynor clubbed the 2-run triple and scored a run. Smith cracked an rbi single and scored a run. Johnson and Cross scored one run each.

“Kayleigh pitched great and didn’t walk anybody,” said East Bladen Coach Chase Lancaster. “We hit the ball and were aggressive on the basepaths. We only had a few errors so it was another good defensive effort.”

East Bladen improved to 6-7 in conference play and 7-8 overall. The Lady Eagles will host St. Pauls Tuesday night.

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