ELIZABETHTOWN – Freshman Kayleigh Raynor pitched a complete game and struck out 14 batters to lead East Bladen to an 11-8 Three Rivers Conference softball victory over Red Springs Thursday night.
Raynor walked none and allowed 8 runs – only 2 earned – on 11 hits.
“We had too many errors but we are getting better at that,” said East Bladen Coach Chase Lancaster. “I was pleased with the no walks and 14 strikeouts. We are back on the right track.”
Red Springs bunched 3 hits and 3 errors to scored 5 runs in the top of the first inning.
East Bladen answered with 2 runs in the second. Freshman Alyssa Futrell raked a single to leftfield. Junior Anna Kate White walked. Senior Faith Johnson forced White at second, but sophmores Johanna Parker and Abbie Cross drew walks to force home Futrell. Raynor’s infield hit plated Johnson.
A passed third strike and an error led to an unearned Red Springs run in the third, but the Lady Eagles exploded with 8 runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 10-6 lead.
Futrell reached base on an error, and senior Kaley Smith and White belted singles to load the bases. Johnson’s fielder’s choice plated Futrell, and Parker smacked a single that scored Smith and White. Cross drew a walk, and Raynor reached base on an error as Parker scored.
Junior Erica McKoy, junior Olivia Hollingsworth and Futrell drew walks that forced home Cross and Raynor. McKoy and Hollingsworth scored the final 2 runs of the inning.
Cross walked in the fifth inning and scored the final East Bladen run on McKoy’s fielder’s choice. Red Springs scored 2 runs in the seventh to trim the final margin to 3 runs.
Futrell batted 2-3 with 2 runs scored and a run batted in to lead the East hitters. Raynor finished 2-4 at the plate with a run scored and an rbi. McKoy, Smith, White, Johnson, and Parker collected one hit each.
Cross scored twice, and Parker, Johnson, White, Smith, Hollingsworth and McKoy scored one run each. Parker drove in 2 runs, and Hollingsworth, McKoy, Johnson and Cross had one rbi each.
Keira Bryant and Jalexis Bratcher both batted 3-5 to lead the Red Springs hitters. Teammate Katelyn Culbreth finished 2-4 at the plate.
“We played batter ball tonight,” said Coach Lancaster. “It’s always hard to play the day before the prom, but we are back on the right track.”
Wednesday night the Lady Eagles lost 11-1 at South Columbus. White doubled and scored the only East Bladen run. Johnson drove in the run with a single. Parker, Futrell, Hollingsworth and Raynor added one hit each to the Lady Eagle attack.
East Bladen will travel to West Columbus Tuesday night.
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