East Bladen’s Lady Eagles exploded for ten runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to overcome a 5-1 Midway lead and post an 11-6 Four County Conference softball victory Tuesday night.
Senior Lexi Dawson started the winning rally with a one-out single, and senior Abbey Norris reached base on an infield hit. Senior Anna Brewer smacked a single to centerfield to load the bases.
Junior Miller Heustess knocked in Dawson with a single to centerfield. Sophmore Emily Scott reached base on a fielder’s choice that plated Norris, and sophmore Yolanda Coston’s fielder’s choice brought in Brewer and trimmed the Midway lead to 5-4.
Heustess raced home with the tying run on a wild pitch, and after freshman Kaley Smith reached base on a passed third strike, Scott scored the go-ahead run on an errant pick-off attempt by the catcher.
Junior Lacey Suggs blasted a triple over the centerfielder’s head to drive in Coston and Smith. Suggs darted home on a wild pitch, and junior Abby Ward walked.
Dawson walloped a long double to the fence in right-centerfield, and Norris’ fielder’s choice scored Ward with the final run of the inning to put East ahead 11-5. The Lady Eagles sent 14 batters to the plate in the inning.
“These girls just battle,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “They don’t quit.”
Norris batted 3-4 with 2 runs-batted-in to lead the East Bladen hitters. Suggs finished 2-4 at the plate with the triple, 2 rbi’s and 2 runs scored.
Dawson turned in a 2-4 game with a double, and Coston, Brewer, Heustess and Scott added one hit each for the winners, and Heustess, Coston and Scott had rbi’s.
An error, an infield out and a bunt produced a Midway run in the first inning, and the second inning was a nightmare for the Lady Eagles as a couple of misjudged fly balls, 2 errors, a bloop and an infield hit produced 4 runs and put Midway up 5-0.
“We weren’t prepared to start the game,” said Coach Evers. “We weren’t ready to play.”
The Lady Eagles finally cracked the scoring column with a fourth inning run. Suggs laced a single to left-centerfield, stole second base and scored when Norris ripped a 2-out single to left-centerfield.
Heustess pitched a complete game 7-hitter to pick up the win for East Bladen. None of the Midway runs were earned.
The Lady Eagles, now 2-0 in the Four County and 4-1 overall, travel to Pender Tuesday for their next game.
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